This weekend, the Sports Hall at American School of The Hague was buzzing with energy as it proudly hosted the Benelux FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Championships, welcoming nearly 600 students across 48 robotics teams from the Netherlands and Europe. The electric atmosphere and high energy lasted from the first matches in the morning to the final rounds in the evening—stands filled with cheering supporters, whirring robots, and teams showcasing the epitome of collaboration and resilience as they went head-to-head in high-stakes matches.

 

ASH teams had a particularly memorable championship, with its three competing teams. Trojan Robotics earned a place on the Winning Alliance and were awarded 3rd Place INSPIRE award.The Flying Dutchman finished as Division Finalist Alliance and received 2nd Place INSPIRE award. The FTC Inspire Award is the highest honor in the competition, recognizing teams that best embody the spirit of FIRST through excellence in robot design, engineering documentation, community outreach, and professionalism.

 

With their outstanding results, Trojan Robotics and The Flying Dutchman now advance to the European or World Championships, continuing their journey on the global FTC stage.

 

This year was particularly meaningful for our school, as it marked the debut of our newest and third robotics team, Strooptech. In an impressive rookie performance, Strooptech qualified for Regionals, highlighting the strength and growth of ASH’s robotics program. Alongside the championships, a vibrant STEM Expo celebrated innovation and showcased projects from regional and national organizations, including The Floating Farm, Microsoft Dream Space, The Hague Tech, AI4All, Hackathon for Good, and Forze Hydrogen Racing –whose hydrogen race car drew crowds inside the school’s cafeteria.

 

Together, the FTC Benelux Championships proved to be about more than competition. The event highlighted the connective power of STEM, showing how curiosity brings people together in countless and unpredictable ways: from solving technical challenges in competing robots to cheering on teams throughout an unforgettable day.