Engineers are essential to the way we live. They help to keep us safe and healthy, make sure we have enough to eat, get us from one place to another, and they even shape the way we play. Consider your favorite sport, and then think about all the different kinds of technologies that are used in playing, scoring, or training for that sport. From something as seemingly-simple as the fabric for a uniform to high-speed cameras and biosensors, technology is essential to the way we experience sports, and engineers make all those technologies possible!
The Contest Challenge
In your own words describe ONE technology used in a sport that you enjoy, and tell how different types of engineers contributed to its design and manufacture. Explain why the technology was developed (What problem were the engineers trying to solve?). Explain the constraints engineers faced in developing a solution and why specific design choices were made (i.e., Would adding functionality make it too big or too fragile or would a stronger design be too expensive?). Describe the design process that engineers will use to improve the technology in the future. Include details about how different engineering disciplines may be involved in that process.
Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Nancy Bracht-Bedell
Grade 5 - Cascade Elementary School (Cascade, ID)
Climbing Rope
Third Place
Other Finalists
Engineering a Faster Swimming Pool by Yvonne Bailey
Grade 3 - L'Ecole Anne Hebert (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Creating a Racket by Alexa Bailey
Grade 4 - L'Ecole Anne Hebert (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Engineering Journey in the Pursuit of Designing a Perfect Tennis Racket by Alekya Tanikella
Grade 4 - Collister Elementary (Boise, ID)
Engineers Help Golfers Go the Distance by Lincoln Melcher
Grade 5 - St. Francis Xavier (Burbank, CA)
Racquet Science by Esha Agarwal
Grade 5 - Triangle Math and Science Academy (Cary, NC)
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Dana Surwill
Grade 6 - Leadership Academy of Nevada (Henderson, NV)
Sprung Dance Floors
Honorable Mention
Other Finalists
The Engineering Involved in Archery by Hannah Kirk
Grade 6 - Northwood Middle School (Chilhowie, VA)
Inline Skates & Derby Greats by Margaret Sullivan
Grade 7 - Harpeth Hall (Nashville, TN)
A Battle Against Drag by Alexandra Walsh
Grade 7 - Harpeth Hall (Nashville, TN)
Technology of Soccer Cleats by Alexander DiBenio
Grade 7 - Old Mill Middle School South (Crownsville, MD)
The Improvement of Surfing by Jamison White
Grade 7 - Harpeth Hall (Nashville, TN)
Using Technology to Gain Competitive Advantage in Soccer by Brenda Lora
Grade 7 - Prairie Ridge Middle School (Ankeny, IA)
My Pointe Shoes by Breanna Goyea
Grade 7 - Governor French Academy (Belleville, IL)
High School (Grades 9-12)
Other Finalists
The Sweet Sound of the Pop of Lemon Soda by Xinyue He
Grade 9 - Millbrook School (Beijing, Republic of China, Republic of China)
The Evolution of Softball Bats by Shea Franklin
Grade 9 - Pottsville Junior HIgh School (Pottsville, AR)
The Importance of a Swimsuit by Claire Schroeder
Grade 10 - Battlefield High School (Haymarket, VA)
Swimming Through Time by Cecilia DeWitt
Grade 10 - Centennial High School (Ellicott City, MD)
The Running Shoe Race by Kayla Blackburn
Grade 11 - West Rowan High School (Salisbury, NC)
To Such Great Heights: Engineering Magic in the Twenty-First Century by Grace Skidmore
Grade 12 - Braxton County High School (Exchange, WV)
HotSpot: The Thermal Imaging Solution for Cricketing Conflicts by Anne-Sophie van Wingerden
Grade 12 - School Year Abroad China (London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom)
Luge Technology: Artificial Track Design and Safety by Lauren Johnston
Grade 12 - Collingwood School (West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)