The Flying Dutchman Team wrapped up their season with a highlight appearance at the First Tech Challenge World Championships in Houston, Texas — the perfect finale to an unforgettable debut year. With a great sense of teamwork and determination, the team left the competition feeling proud of their progress and achievements they made throughout the season.

 

Their journey to the World Championships was driven by dedication and perseverance. Throughout the season, their participation in scrimmages and tournaments helped sharpen their skills and build confidence for high-level competitions — most notably the Benelux Championship in February. There, The Flying Dutchman earned top honors, taking home both the 2025 Benelux Winning Alliance Captain title and the prestigious Inspire Award. These accomplishments secured their spot at Worlds, where they proudly represented their region on the global stage. Every milestone was backed with countless hours of effort: team members could often be found in the robotics lab after school and even during lunch — showcasing how success takes grit, and fueled by fun.

 

Beyond the arena, the judges were particularly impressed by The Flying Dutchman’s outreach efforts to inspire young students into STEM fields — a testament to the team's dedication to making a lasting impact beyond the competition floor.

 

Even though no awards were won this time, simply qualifying for Worlds is an exceptional achievement. With over 9,000 active teams globally, making it to the top 3% is a feat worth celebrating. While the level of competition was fiercer than anticipated, the experience sparked a fire within the team to push together even harder. At the World Championships, the level of competition presented new challenges. While the team encountered a series of mechanical and coding issues, they focused on problem-solving; successfully diagnosing and overcoming them. Their ability to quickly adapt and follow the engineering design cycle was nothing short of impressive. “On matches 9/10 they had finally stomped out all the issues to perform well” commented Mr. Pratt, Robotics Teacher and FTC Coach. Although it came a little too late to change the standing, it was an equally rewarding moment that showed the ultimate example of teamwork and resilience.

 

Offseason preparations are already in full swing, with team members excited to build new skills and return stronger next year. The Flying Dutchman Team’s spirit, resilience, and growth this season are something to be very proud of.