The Alabama Aerospace and Aviation School (AAHS) of Bessemer recently took second place in the United States Drone Soccer Association competition. The day-long event, hosted by the Birmingham Southern Museum of Flight, saw several schools participate from as far as Tennessee and Georgia. The Alabama Aerospace and Aviation School were the defending 2025 champions but fell to Tennessee Varsity.
Drone soccer is a fast-paced, 5 versus 5 indoor STEM sport where teams pilot specialized, caged quadcopters, or drones, to score goals by flying through elevated, hanging hoops, similar to regular soccer. Matches consist of three, 3-minute sets, combining aerial maneuvering with high-contact defense, often requiring on-site, rapid repairs to battle-damaged drones. A designated “striker” drone attempts to pass through the opponent’s hoop, while teammates defend or block to prevent scoring.
The sport is expanding rapidly in U.S. schools and serves as a hands-on introduction to aerospace engineering and robotics. Drone soccer was invented in South Korea in 2016. In the U.S., four schools played matches in 2021; now, more than 300 schools in 38 states have teams. The U.S. Drone Soccer Association is a special interest group for FAI F9A Drone Sports of the Academy of Model Aeronautics and a sanctioned member of the FAI World Sports Federation. The mission of the Academy supports STEM Education programs around the USA to channel students into Aviation Technology, Engineering, and Maintenance focused careers.
The Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School, under its founder and principal, Mr. Rueben Morris, is already blazing trails as it participates in a host of events such as the drone soccer competition and dual enrollment programs at the Birmingham Southern Museum of Flight and Snead State Community College. The AAHS is the first aviation-focused, free public charter school in Alabama dedicated to creating the aerospace and aviation leaders of tomorrow.
