About the Warlocks...

Lockport Robotics is a not-for-profit, educational organization to promote interest in technology and personal growth in young people through the use of a competitive robotics program called FIRST. We are in our sixth year as an exciting, engaging program for High School students in Lockport, NY.

The Warlocks and Team 1507 owe their beginnings to Delphi and the Newfane High School FIRST Robotics Team 378, The Circuit Stompers.

The Circuit Stompers' major sponsor, Delphi, wanted the team to be available to students in both the Newfane and Lockport areas. The Newfane team had been operating successfully for several years previously. It was decided to open the Circuit Stompers to students and teachers from Lockport High.

This led to a joint team for two seasons, which was very successful. Enough students were incorporated into the program to allow separate teams to be formed. In 2004, a team application was submitted for the Lockport team. We were assigned number 1507.

We went into the 2005 season as a rookie team with the Circuit Stompers as our mentor team.

The name WARLOCKS was conceived on the way back from the IRI off-season competition in Indiana. We were still part of the Circuit Stompers, but knew by then, in July, that the new team would be formed. Warlocks stand for We Are Robotics - Lockport's Original Cyber Kids Society. Corny, but it stuck!

The two teams continue to be closely aligned. Delphi sponsors both teams and many mentors from Delphi are involved in the teams. Often joint activities are planned and cooperation between the two teams has solved many problems that might not have been solved alone. In 2007, when the Lockport schools were closed due to snow and holidays, we were able to perform last-minute work on our robot at Newfane on a weekend.

Each year, a number of Warlocks members graduate and go on to college. This past year, nearly half the team were seniors and almost all our graduates went on into engineering studies.