You Go Girl!

[Hospital_Rocket]

As president of CATO (NAR Section 581) I am proud to announce that one of our young fliers, Miss Alyssa Stenberg, has taken the contest community by storm and set the following records.

A Division F Helicopter Duration (A F HD) ~ 108 seconds
A Division F Egg Lofting Duration (A F ELD) ~ 97 seconds
A Division G Super-Roc Duration (A G SRD) ~ 32614p (not sure what unit of measure that is!)
A Division F Streamer Duration (A F SD) ~ 87 seconds
A Division G Helicopter Duration (A G HD) ~ 105 seconds
A Division G Egg Lofting Duration (A G ELD) ~ 153 seconds

These records were set in October at the MDRA Red Glare III event which really goes to show how even the big dogs have room for the up and coming.

Please join me in congratulating Alyssa for this extraordinary accomplishment.

 

[skycopp]

I think that this is her. I snapped a picture as she was preparing one of her rockets.

View attachment allysa.JPG

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Yup, that's the proud record holder.

 

[jflis]

Congrats! VERY well done

"A Division G Super-Roc Duration (A G SRD) ~ 32614p (not sure what unit of measure that is!)"

Al, that would be "points"... Superroc is a combination of points awarded for seconds of flight plus length of rocket vrs diameter (though I would have to look up how it is calculated)...

jim

 

[Rocketcrab]

I can attest to her rocket flying abilities. She did quite well at RAMTEC-13 this past September. :congrats:

We [SPAAR] hope to see her and her family again this year!!

 

[mr_fixit]

If you really want something to blow your mind, Alyssa set some of those records on Sunday afternoon. She spent Sunday morning winning a Karate Championship and came up with a trophy taller than her!!

After timing several of her events, I just went back to my table and smashed my rockets to little bits (j/k). She is a great kid and has a super family that supports and encourages her.

T

 

[boris katan]

Wow, congratulations Alyssa!
Great Job!

 

[2112]

Hi all!

It's dad here. I must say I have never seen Alyssa apply herself to anything like she has over the last few months with rocketry. Rocketry has allowed Alyssa to understand that goals can be acheived by turning off the TV and doing things.

We have 4 simple rules when it comes to Alyssa's rocket building:

1) She builds 100% herself, mom and dad coach only.
2) She is not allowed to use anything that plugs in without supervision
3) She is not allowed to paint (will allow for scale competition)
4) eye protection, masks and lots of ventailation

I have learned so much from working with her. Teaching a kid really requires you to think through things to the point you learn as much yourself.

Here are some pics of Alyssa getting ready for the Red Glare Record trials. She had a full blown factory going and she worked non-stop for 6 weeks. Also included her Superroc and a karate championship pics, all from the same day.

I also want to thank Aerotech, they helped Alyssa out with some of her F and G motors (her allowance doesn't quite cover her rocketry hobby!)

 

[2112]

Oh, that weekend was CRAZY windy. Forced use of smaller chutes and didn't allow her to fly half of the record attempts she had built for. It's all good, records are made to be broken!

 

[roadkill]

Congratulations to Alyssa and the
must-be-so-proud family !

Having Karate as another hobby/sport must
help a lot in the field of 'Zen and the Art of Rocketry'...

Fantastic achievement, keep it up -
Sky is the limit !


Edit: And Thank You Aerotech, helping her out
with motors was a class act !

 

[Rockstone]

wow, how old is she, she looks younger than me, and I'm only in the 8th grade!

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

I believe Alyssa is eight.

 

[jj94]

Wow, that's a lot of talent packed into such a young person!

 

[Rockstone]

yha, wow

 

[msurocketgurl]

Wow! That is really amazing. Glad to see a great kid in the hobby!

 

[dwmzmm]

Super!! I would love to see her at some of our competitions here in the
Houston, TX area (we usually have 3 - 4 Regional meets every year). Keep
us posted; I'd like to hear more as time goes on (if you don't mind)....

 

[Rockstone]

wait, msu rocket girl, where is the middle school challenge being held? I would love to enter if its in Florida (where I live!) Georgia, or Alabama!

 

[2112]

Congrats! VERY well done

"A Division G Super-Roc Duration (A G SRD) ~ 32614p (not sure what unit of measure that is!)"

Al, that would be "points"... Superroc is a combination of points awarded for seconds of flight plus length of rocket vrs diameter (though I would have to look up how it is calculated)...

jim

Hi Jim,

That Super Roc is the same one she set up next to your table at NEMROC. You had Alyssa convinced we were all going to wrestle or fight for all the prizes....hehe.

Jon

 

[ben]

I got to meet here at Red Glare. If I knew as much as she did at eight I wouldn't be here

I hope she comes back to break some more records!

Ben

 

[jflis]

Hi Jim,

That Super Roc is the same one she set up next to your table at NEMROC. You had Alyssa convinced we were all going to wrestle or fight for all the prizes....hehe.

Jon

oh! kewl!

That';s what I love about being so involved in this hobby and getting to many of these events. You wind up getting involved in a lot of the history of the sport

 

[powderburner]

What a kid!!
I expect that 2112 has popped a few buttons from his vest?

I was going to make a feeble joke about most of the rockets were probably bigger than she is, and then I found the shot of her superroc entry. Wow!

It sure would be great if we could figure out how to pull in a bunch more kids like Alyssa into model rocketry and contest rocketry!

 

[Gillard]

now that'a amazing, i've got several young one in my rocket club that are twice her age and are nowhere close to her ability, i hope my three year old gets to be as good as her -well done

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

What a kid!!
It sure would be great if we could figure out how to pull in a bunch more kids like Alyssa into model rocketry and contest rocketry!

Here is some of what works at the club Alyssa calls home...

1. Everyu rocket is equal. From the smallest .001A micro-mini, to the biggest thing we can fly.
2. the kids are involved at every step of the game, they are full members of the club.
3. They have a full role in launch ops. You wanna keep a kid, put them at the button.
4. Cheer them on - incessantly.

I'm sure none of this is new, however it all seems to work.


A

 

[Rocketcrab]

Here is some of what works at the club Alyssa calls home...

1. Everyu rocket is equal. From the smallest .001A micro-mini, to the biggest thing we can fly.
2. the kids are involved at every step of the game, they are full members of the club.
3. They have a full role in launch ops. You wanna keep a kid, put them at the button.
4. Cheer them on - incessantly.

I'm sure none of this is new, however it all seems to work.


A

We at SPAAR have been trying to figure out this one for about 20 years. We do everything you mentioned with the exception of #3. We require anyone in the position of LCO to be 18+, primarily for liability reasons. The bottom line is, you can expose younger members to competition and encourage them, but if they are not "in" to it, they're not.

That said, Alyssa and her family attended our RAMTEC Regional this past September, and she is the real deal. I just wish there were more like her - we [the entire rocketry community] could use more like her!!!

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

We require anyone in the position of LCO to be 18+, primarily for liability reasons.

I need to clarify one thing. There is always an adult sitting at the table to closely oversee this activity. The youngsters actually get more fun out of poking fun with the microphone at heir elders.

The bottom line is, you can expose younger members to competition and encourage them, but if they are not "in" to it, they're not.

Sadly that is what it all boils down to. I do have to say the worst thing that can possibly be done is to force the young folks. In Alyssa's case it is an important to note that her dad was a serious competitor when younger and has been bitten by the BAR bug.