McKinney STEAM Academy & FIRST Inspires
FIRST Inspires & the McKinney STEAM Academy
FIRST Inspires is an international non-profit organization that facilitates robotics competitions for students from elementary through high school. FIRST in Texas is our local arm of FIRST Inspires.
All McKinney STEAM Academy robotics teams are registered with and compete with FIRST Inspires and FIRST in Texas. Additionally, the MSA hosts events on behalf of FIRST Inspires for coaches and students.
McKinney STEAM Academy has teams at all three levels of FIRST competitions: FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST Robotics Competition.
FIRST® LEGO® League
Grades: 4-8 *a limited number of our teams will take students In 2nd and 3rd grades
Applications: May - Aug (or roster full)
Off Season: June-July
Regular Season: August-January
Championship Season: February
FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is a dynamic robotics competition merging LEGO building with real-world problem-solving. Teams of youngsters collaborate to construct and program autonomous robots using LEGO Mindstorms kits for themed field missions.
FLL integrates research and presentation elements, prompting teams to tackle real-world issues and suggest inventive solutions. It fosters STEM skills, teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity, empowering young minds as tomorrow's innovators.
MSA 2023 FLL Teams
27116 Mercenary Friends
27183 Mercenaries II
28813 Curious Dream Weavers
29125 Young Mercs
29126 Training Mercs
50491 The Mercenary Dragons
51620 Mercenary Moon Stormers
54586 Brick Mercenaries
60680 Lego Masterminds
60892 BrickMercs
61002 Mercs Tech Tigers
61724 Mighty Mercs
FIRST® Tech Challenge
Grades: 6-12
Applications: May - Sept (or roster full)
Off Season: June-Aug
Regular Season: Sept-Dec
Championship Season: Jan-Feb
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) provides hands-on robot design, building, and programming experience. Teams collaborate using a versatile kit, incorporating advanced technologies like sensors and motors. Matches on the competition field challenge robots' autonomy and driver control.
FTC prioritizes teamwork, sportsmanship, and professionalism, nurturing future engineers passionate about innovation and problem-solving.
MSA 2023 FTC Teams
17011 Mercenaries
18121 MiT Mercenaries in Training
20166 Mercenary Penguins
20195 Metal Mercenaries
21743 Mercenary Robotics
FIRST® Robotics Competition
Grades: 9-12
Applications: June - Dec (or roster full)
Off Season: June-Dec
Regular Season: Jan-March
Championship Season: April
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) increases the scale and complexity of the robots and competitions. FRC is designed for high school students and involves larger teams building robots weighing up to 125 pounds, competing on expansive fields in alliances of three teams each. The challenges in FRC are intricate and typically involve multiple objectives, requiring advanced engineering and strategic planning.
Our FRC students typically custom fabricate most of their robot learning CAD, CNC, laser, powder coating, and basic power tool skills in the process.
MSA 2023 FRC Team
6369 Mercenary Robotics