Walking into a robotics competition, the energy is undeniable. You hear the sounds of robots being field tested, the excited cheers of a successful run, and the focused conversations of students working together to fix a bug in their code. Hands-on learning experiences like these are incredibly powerful, giving learners the space to have fun, test their skills, make mistakes, and celebrate their hard-earned victories.
Creating these opportunities requires a lot of behind-the-scenes magic. We are thrilled to announce that Sphero is partnering with TEAM Alliance to present Sphero Robotics Missions™ and Sphero Robotics Competitions™. TEAM Alliance is a national nonprofit dedicated to working with a community of volunteers to engage students through fun, affordable robotics programs.
If you are curious about what this means for your students and how you can get involved, read on. We’re excited to share the uniting philosophy in our collaboration, the benefits of healthy competition, and everything you need to know about the upcoming season.
Our Driving Philosophy
Sphero and TEAM Alliance share a fundamental belief in the power of student-powered learning. We know that when students take ownership, the lessons stick.
Andy Schaafs, Executive Director of TEAM Alliance, brings 20 years of experience teaching engineering and robotics, serving as the District Administrator across a district of 60+ schools, and leading competitive robotics programs. He understands exactly what makes these events successful.
"We want students to be the ones calling the shots," says Schaafs. "When they are in control of their own robot, making decisions and troubleshooting on the fly, they build an incredible amount of resilience. The adults are there to support and coordinate, but the actual problem-solving belongs entirely to the learners."
TEAM Alliance is built on five core values:
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Accessible: Make it simple with a low barrier to entry and a high ceiling for mastery.
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Student-Powered: Students are fully trusted to do the work. The adults involved act as Team Coordinators, rather than traditional coaches who might be tempted to intervene.
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Turnkey: Events are designed to be fun and easily run by a small number of volunteers.
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Community: Recognize the meaningful contributions and roles of volunteers.
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Confidence: Build confidence through active participation, fueling workforce development skills that go far beyond the classroom.
Why Competition Matters for Students
Participating in a robotics program offers massive benefits. A competition environment takes the computer science concepts learned in the classroom and applies them to exciting, real-world challenges.
Collaboration becomes a necessity. Working together, students take on specific roles like programmer, designer, or mission manager to accomplish a shared goal. They learn how to communicate ideas, listen to their peers, and manage their time effectively.
Events also foster a strong sense of connection. Participating allows students to meet peers from different schools and backgrounds, broadening their worldview and improving their social skills.
"Competitions are naturally fun, and that joy is a huge motivator," adds Schaafs. "When a team works hard to code their robot for a specific challenge, the excitement they feel seeing it succeed is unmatched. That positive association with learning is something they carry with them forever."
On top of all that, giving students distinct responsibilities helps them develop critical leadership skills. They feel important, take their roles seriously, and gain the confidence to make decisions under pressure.
Building Confidence for Future Careers
The ultimate outcome of this partnership is getting more students involved in robotics programs so they can develop both hard and soft workforce skills. Learning to code is fantastic, but combining that technical knowledge with the ability to apply it in challenges is what truly prepares someone for a career.
We are working to build a global community where students carry a lifelong sense of excitement about technology. The experiences they have at these events teach them how to navigate unexpected challenges gracefully. They learn how to gather information, brainstorm, and apply the engineering design process to find creative solutions.
By keeping our events affordable and approachable, we are opening the doors for more schools and communities to participate. Every time a student successfully guides their robot through an obstacle or collaborates with a teammate to fix a mechanical issue, they are actively preparing for the future workforce.
What to Expect in the Upcoming Season
With the new season approaching, there are several exciting ways for teams to get involved. Depending on the age of your students and their experience level, you can choose the program that best fits your goals.
Sphero Robotics Missions (SRM)
Sphero Robotics Missions (SRM) require teams to solve autonomous coding challenges individually. During an event, an evaluator scores their performance against an objective rubric. The focus remains heavily on coding, creativity, and the engineering design process. SRM offers three programs:
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indi Missions: Designed for the U9 division (students under 9), this program is completely screen-free. Working in teams, students use color tiles to program their indi robot. They get to guide indi on fun adventures, create physical features like rivers and playgrounds, and design a custom world.
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BOLT Missions: Geared toward the U12 division (students under 12), this program provides fun challenges that change every season. Students collaborate on coding their BOLT or BOLT+ robot, making strategic decisions, and grasping basic engineering concepts as they design new environments for the robot to navigate.
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RVR Missions: Built for the U15 division (students under 15), this program combines high-performance driving with engineering, coding, and sensor integration. The RVR+ robot requires students to iterate on their past coding and troubleshooting experiences to conquer exciting, theme-based challenges.
Sphero Robotics Competition (SRC)
For those looking for an engaging community with robotics competitions, the Sphero Robotics Competition (SRC) offers dynamic, live action for the U19 division. Using Blueprint Robotics™, SRC features a combination of head-to-head matches and Tech Trials.
A SRC team consists of 4-8 students and two robots, each robot created to compliment the other for deeper strategy. In the head-to-head matches, two teams face off on the same field in real time. During Tech Trials, a single team attempts to score the maximum number of points on the field by themselves. Both SRM and SRC remain entirely student-powered, giving teens the autonomy to test their skills and strategies.
Get Started
Sphero Competitions provide a space where students feel empowered to learn, fail, and succeed. Our partnership with TEAM Alliance is designed to make that process as smooth and joyful as possible for everyone involved.
You don't need any prior coding or engineering experience to support a team. As a Team Coordinator, your role is simply to provide the space and encouragement for your students to figure things out on their own.
Ready to jump in and bring these amazing opportunities to your community? Learn more about the programs by visiting TEAMAlliance.org. When you are ready to make it official, you can register your team at myTEAMevents.org.