Another SparX season is in the books! The 2026 competition season has officially ended, and our One Webster team made our town proud once again through their skill, teamwork, problem-solving, and sportsmanship.
Here’s a great round-up of the season from Tricia Isham, one of the team’s parent mentors:
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Each January, FIRST® Robotics Competition presents high school teams with a new engineering challenge that requires the design, programming, and construction of industrial-sized robots for alliance-based competitive play. Guided by mentors throughout the season, students develop technical, engineering, and problem-solving skills while strengthening teamwork, leadership, and communication abilities. In addition to competition, teams pursue fundraising efforts, engage in community outreach, and promote broader appreciation for STEM education.
Webster Schroeder and Thomas High Schools Team 1126 SparX Robotics, founded in the 2002-2003 competition year, continues to build on over two decades of innovation and competitive excellence. With 24 competition seasons under our belt, we have participated in 52 events and earned 30 awards, an achievement that reflects the dedication, resilience, and growth of our team year after year.
Our 2026 season began at the Finger Lakes Regional, held March 11–14 at the Gordon Field House at RIT during Week 2 of competition. Competing against 55 teams, SparX Robotics finished with a strong 7-3-0 record in qualification matches, ranking 14th overall. The team advanced into the double elimination bracket and battled through nine matches before being eliminated in Round 4. Notably, the team maintained a clean record with zero disqualifications, demonstrating both strong performance and disciplined play.
Like many teams competing early in the season, we took the opportunity between events to significantly improve our robot. This effort resulted in a rebuilt machine we named “Reboot,” reflecting both the technical upgrades and the renewed momentum of our team.
That work paid off at the New York Tech Valley Regional, held April 14–18 at MVP Arena in Albany during Week 7, an event that hosted around 60 teams. Competing with “Reboot,” SparX Robotics once again delivered a strong performance, finishing qualification matches with an 8-3-0 record and earning the 14th seed. The team advanced deep into the double elimination bracket, competing in eight playoff matches before being eliminated just prior to the final rounds. Throughout the competition, SparX maintained a perfect record of zero disqualifications.
One of our playoff matches can be viewed here: https://frc-events.firstinspires.org/2026/NYTR/playoffs/12
Across both competitions, SparX Robotics demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and steady growth. The transition to “Reboot” exemplifies our team’s ability to learn quickly, iterate effectively, and return stronger—qualities that will continue to drive our success in future seasons.If you want to get involved as a mentor or sponsor, or donate to our team (robots can cost $20,000 or more to build), or if you know of a Webster Central High School student who would like to join the team, please contact david_schenk@webstercsd.org or keith_karnisky@webstercsd.org. If your student wants to join, we can find a spot for them and their interests!
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(posted 5/10/2026)
webster on the web 
The more I learn about this team, and this competition, the more intrigued I become. This is ‘real-world’ stuff these students are learning. In business, and in the military, people are often faced with limited budget, materials, and especially TIME. It needs to be fixed NOW, and you might not have the right part, or the correct tool, and you can’t run down to the corner robot-store and buy a new thingamabob.
Google the phrase “Improvise, Adapt and Overcome” That sounds like the skill set these young adults are learning, and it is of vital importance. I commend the dedicated staff, the students, and all who support this effort. Whether the students pursue a technical career, or not, the lessons of teamwork; creative, disciplined, and focused thinking under pressure; patience; concise and accurate communication; leadership; cooperation and confidence are remarkably valuable to their future success. It would be interesting to speak with former students from 15 or more years ago, and learn how lessons from the SparX team contributed to their success.
Congratulations to the team on their continued growth and success.
Great analysis!! As always, thanks for your thoughtful comment.