U.S. Drone Soccer Leagues Launch today with a kickstarted campaign to fund aviation education in Colorado, New York, and Ohio.
U.S. Drone Soccer may be one of the coolest sports in the world – and gives kids ages 12 and up their first experience in aviation, creating a pathway for aerospace careers.
With classroom lessons and after school drone soccer leagues for grades 6-12, drone soccer is the recognized as an international sport by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI). Drone Soccer will be demonstrated at the World Games held in Birmingham, Alabama in July of 2022.
The game of Drone Soccer is played with flying quadcopters in protective exoskeletons designed for collisions. Five-player teams fly inside a netted arena where they ram and block the opposing team to prevent them from scoring. Students who compete during the academic year must first learn to build, program, and repair their drones as a team.
“The joy of flight is real. When a student flies, but then crashes and makes their first repairs – they’ve become an engineer for life.” says David Roberts, President of U.S. Drone Soccer, who previously took the U.S. Drone Racing Team to two FAI World Championships.
It has taken more than a year of testing with students and teacher to develop a drone that can withstand the abuses of the sport – and meet the needs of a modern classroom – but the Saker DS200 “Bantam” Drone Soccer Ball is ready to take the field. The Saker DS200 “is affordable, durable, and easily repairable with simple tools,” says the press release. “Open-source software allows students to rebuild and reprogram the drone for a depth of learning, and professional development courses help teachers find success with no prior experience.”
Launching National Drone Soccer Leagues
The drone industry needs more skilled pilots, more engineers, and more diversity: drone soccer wins on all fronts. It’s a co-ed sport that gives all players the opportunity to participate in the aviation culture of responsibility. “Drone Soccer is growing in partnership with educational nonprofit organizations such as the Academy of Model Aeronautics, who are providing pilot insurance and courses for students to complete The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) with the FAA.”
Student leagues and tournaments will take place in Colorado, Ohio, and New York this year, and the first national tournament will be held in Denver, Colorado on April 30th, 2022.
U.S. Drone Soccer is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, along with more than 60 national and international sporting agencies. Academic enrollment is now open for schools and summer camp providers. Equipment sales are available through official arena locations, and will only be sold to individuals during a limited Kickstarter campaign through February, 2022. Complete demo bundles including a drone and accessories are available for the discounted price of $375 ($410 retail).
More information about this emerging esport can be found at https://dronesoccer.us
Read more about drone soccer: the awesome new sport, and the Colorado Springs Tourney.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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