May 7 – Members of Hayward Middle School’s drone football team showed off their skills to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio State Buckeye football standout and Springfield native Braxton Miller on Tuesday afternoon , following a national competition in Virginia against 16 other teams on April 27.
Coach Luke Kelly said the drone football team is proud to call itself a pioneer in the sport, having hosted and won the state’s first official drone football match earlier this school year.
The team is made up of students Collin Bostick (forward and defender), Neetchy Eugene (forward and forward), Christopher Moore (goalkeeper), Jamir Rolls (forward), Anna Hollingsworth (forward), Joseph Kelly (defender), Eric Rofe (Defender ) and Hart Underwood (Crew Member). He is coached by Kelly and David Zeller and sponsored by The Braxton Miller Foundation, which also sponsors the school’s XTreme Bots team.
>> PHOTOS: Governor visits Springfield High School drone program
DeWine said it was great to see the kids having fun while competing and learning.
“Schools doing things that combine fun, creativity and learning, that’s what works with young people,” DeWine said. “… I think more schools doing things like this, whether it’s drones or some other way to cheer up kids, is the most important thing and what we all want for our kids.”
DeWine said the students made the sport look easy.
Drone football is a fast-growing new sport originating in Asia that involves two teams of up to five players per team. Each player is equipped with a drone and has a position, similar to traditional football, and the drones fly in a large cage. The winner is determined by the team that scores the most goals.
Kelly said the students worked so hard handling the drones that they successfully completed an obstacle course.
Miller, who attended Hayward Middle and said he made his first dunk in the gym where the rally took place, said he always planned to give back when he had the opportunity.
Miller and a member of DeWine’s team tested the drones, and Miller said that although he played video games, it was more difficult. Students said the controllers are very sensitive.
“I want to go down, go to elementary school and expand from elementary school to high school…as soon as we get more donations, we can expand it,” Miller said. He thanked the community for their support.
Miller also supports the Springfield Sports Academy, a sports-centered charter school.
Rolls said the competition was fun, allowing him to meet new people, see others playing the sport and improve his technique. Bostick also found the competition educational.
Hayward Middle School Principal Edna Chapman said she is proud to see “Springfield City Schools at our best” with teachers and students working.
