Hayward Middle School’s Drone Soccer Team has been selected to compete in the 2026 Drone Soccer National Championship, set for May 18–19 in Daytona Beach, Florida. This latest opportunity continues a storied history of the growing sport at Hayward.
To earn the bid, the team earned a wildcard invitation following a strong 3rd place finish at the District III Regional Championship. This marks Hayward’s third consecutive appearance at nationals.
This year’s national competition will be held at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Hayward’s team includes current middle school students and three veteran drone soccer players who are now Springfield High School students.
Hayward was the first school in Ohio to establish a drone soccer team and remains a leader in the activity statewide, further cementing their spot in history in the 2023-2024 school year when they hosted Ohio’s first official drone soccer match. With support from The Braxton Miller Foundation, Ohio now has 12 active teams.
“Hayward is proud to be among these teams, continuing to represent both Springfield and Ohio on the national stage,” said Hayward Coach and Teacher, Luke Kelly.
What's Drone Soccer?
Drone soccer is a high-speed, 3-dimensional competition that involves the building, maneuvering and repairing of drones. Teams compete in an ‘arena,’ which is a large cage that has several hanging circular obstacles. A match is composed of three sets. To win a match, a team must defeat their opponent in at least 2 out of 3 sets. Each team has 1 striker, 1 goalie, 1 defender and 2 forwards. The only person who can score is the striker. The rest of the team must protect the striker, while simultaneously keeping the other team’s striker from scoring.