Florida’s Finest: S.P.A.M. Robotics Hosts Top FRC Teams Before Our FIRST Championship Journey!

SPAM Robotics
Apr 13
4 min read

Updated: Apr 27

Today, S.P.A.M. Robotics (FRC Team 180) had the honor of hosting three of Florida’s top FIRST Robotics Competition teams at our 6,500 sq. ft. S.P.A.M. Robotics STEM Center in Stuart, FL: SigmaC@ts (FRC 108) from Fort Lauderdale, Children of the Swamp (FRC 179) from Riviera Beach, and Minotaur (FRC 1369) from Tampa. Together, we make four powerhouse teams, all qualified for the 2025 FIRST Championship in Houston, TX, this week, April 16–19! While we’ll be in different divisions in Houston, we’re thrilled to head to the George R. Brown Convention Center to compete against 600 top teams worldwide.

A Gathering of Florida’s Best

This weekend, our STEM Center buzzed with excitement as we welcomed SigmaC@ts, Children of the Swamp, and Minotaur for a day of collaboration, strategy-sharing, and camaraderie. Each team brought their robot and their unique spirit, giving us a chance to connect before our big trip. With REEFSCAPE as the 2025 game, we’ve all been working hard to master the ocean-themed challenge, and today was the perfect opportunity to learn from each other and build momentum for Houston. We even held a mini scrimmage with all four robots, giving our Drive Teams a chance to test strategies against top competition.

SigmaC@ts (FRC 108): Engineering Excellence on Display

SigmaC@ts (FRC 108) from Fort Lauderdale have had an incredible 2025 season on their road to the FIRST Championship! Their journey began at the Tallahassee Regional (March 5–7), where their robot, Poseidon, competed alongside powerhouse teams like FRC 233 (The Pink Team) and FRC 8788 (Special Forces BallistaBots) as part of Alliance #2. After a hard-fought playoff run, SigmaC@ts emerged as Regional Finalists for the second consecutive year. They also earned the Innovation in Control Award, their first since 2008, celebrating their commitment to a robust, forward-thinking control system.

Building on that momentum, they headed to the South Florida Regional (April 3–5), posting an impressive 9-2-0 record in qualifications and leading Alliance #6 with FRC 3932 (Dirty Mechanics), FRC 10323 (DeMolay Dynamics), and FRC 9077 (The Crown) to the semifinals. There, they were honored with the Excellence in Engineering Award, recognizing their professional and innovative approach to robot design, a testament to their legacy as Florida’s oldest consecutively running FRC team since 1995. SigmaC@ts shared on Facebook, “We are so thankful to our sponsors, mentors, parents, and community members for supporting us this regional season and can’t wait to represent at the World Championship!” Fun fact: SigmaC@ts are known for their vibrant social media presence—check out their Instagram (@frcteam108) for a glimpse of Poseidon’s sleek design and their team spirit!

Children of the Swamp (FRC 179): S.P.A.M.’s Longtime Allies

We’re beyond excited to share the road to Houston with our longtime friends, Children of the Swamp (FRC 179) from Riviera Beach! We’ve teamed up with them many times over the years, and now, we’re headed back to Houston again in 2025!

FRC 179 has had an incredible season. They secured their spot at the 2025 FIRST Championship with a stellar showing at the Orlando Regional (March 19–22), where they joined us and FRC 2152 SMASH on Alliance 1 to take home the win. They continued that momentum at the South Florida Regional, where they again joined us, this time alongside FRC 5410 Eaglebotics, and clinched another victory.

In addition to their on-field success, the Swamp picked up some impressive accolades: the Industrial Design Award in South Florida, the Team Sustainability Award at the Arkansas Regional, and their driver, CJ, was named a Dean’s List Finalist, huge congrats!

We’re proud to share the field with a dedicated and accomplished team. Wishing them much success in Houston!

Minotaur (FRC 1369): Rising Stars from Tampa

Minotaur (FRC 1369) from Tampa has had an impressive 2025 season, earning their spot at the FIRST Championship with a 7-8-0 record in official play. They competed as the 1st Pick of Alliance 6 at the South Florida Regional, where they were eliminated in the Double Elimination Bracket (Round 3), but their performance earned ranking points in the Regional Championship Pool, enough to qualify for Houston.

A fun tidbit about Minotaur: their team name reflects their mythological mascot, and they’ve been known to bring a fierce, creative energy to the field. We loved seeing their robot in action today at our STEM Center!

S.P.A.M. Robotics (FRC 180): Leading the Charge

As the hosts, S.P.A.M. Robotics (FRC 180) is proud to head to Houston with these incredible teams. We qualified for the 2025 FIRST Championship with two regional wins: the Orlando Regional, where we allied with FRC 179 and FRC 2152, and the South Florida Regional, where we teamed up with FRC 179 and FRC 5410. We also earned the FIRST Impact Award in Orlando, the Autonomous Award in South Florida, and a #4 world ranking in the 2025 FRC Regional Rankings. Our Student Board President, Zach Dean, was named a Dean’s List semi-finalist, and we’re competing for the global FIRST Impact Award in Houston.

Our robot driver, Matthew Marini, has been preparing tirelessly, leveraging his experience from combat robotics to lead our Drive Team, and the team’s hard work on reliability, like ensuring our Limelight camera stays connected, paid off with the Autonomous Award. Adding to the excitement, our 2025 season mirrors our 2012 World Championship run. We won both regionals, ranked #1, and now we’re in the Galileo Division again. With our villain-themed robot, Anemony, and our “complete blackout” tradition, we’re ready to make history!

Ready for Houston: A Florida Journey Together

While we’ll be in different divisions at the 2025 FIRST Championship (S.P.A.M. in Galileo), we’re excited to travel to Houston as a Florida crew with FRC 179, sharing a bus and trailer for our robots. We can’t wait to cheer our Florida teams, SigmaC@ts, Children of the Swamp, and Minotaur, on at the World Championship. Follow our journey on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, or relive our 2025 season on our page via The Blue Alliance. Let’s go, Florida teams!