Embedded Files
Now Recruiting: Join the FTC Robotics Team
Penfield Community FIRST Robotics
Our Mission:
Our Mission:
Support- We lift each other up and learn together
Community- We give back, mentor others, and represent Penfield with pride
Inclusion- Every student has a place, a voice, and a role
Education- We grow in engineering, coding, communication, and leadership
New experiences- exposes us to new communities and new people
Creativity- design, and innovate new ways to solve real world problems
Enjoyment- because learning is better when we are laughing together
We are more than a robotics team, this is our home and we are a family, with a mission to do good and go far.
Mayhem in May
Mayhem in May
At the 8th Annual Mayhem in May, hosted by Electric Mayhem in Buffalo, NY, seven FTC teams from across the New York Excelsior Region came together for a friendly off-season scrimmage—one last chance to dive into this year's game, Into the Deep.
Penfield’s Oncoming Storm brought not one, but two robots to the event, helping fill out a competitive field of eight. The scrimmage gave our team a chance to shake things up—mixing members across roles, letting everyone try new tasks, and gaining valuable on-field experience.
It was a day full of learning, laughter, and great competition—a fantastic way to cap off the season with friends, old and new.
2024-25 Season Recap
2024-25 Season Recap
The Penfield Community FIRST FTC Robotics Team, Oncoming Storm, recently concluded an exciting and successful 2024-2025 competition season! The season wrapped up with a strong performance at the New York State Regional, where the team secured victories in 6 out of 8 qualification matches. Although narrowly missing the finals, Oncoming Storm proudly finished 16th out of 32 highly competitive teams.
This year, Oncoming Storm participated in three qualifying tournaments, successfully earning a double qualification to compete in the NYS Regionals—an outstanding testament to their consistent excellence and skill. Across the four official events, Team 6996 achieved an impressive overall record of 22-10-0, including a qualification match record of 16-7-0 and a playoff record of 6-3.
Regionally, the team showcased their dedication and growth by ranking 16th out of 92 teams in the FIRST New York Excelsior region and placing 28th out of 245 teams statewide. These accomplishments highlight the team's competitive spirit and ongoing commitment to excellence.
Oncoming Storm also proudly received several prestigious awards this season:
Winning Alliance Captain
Inspire Award
Finalist Alliance Captain
2nd Place Innovate Award (sponsored by RTX)
Congratulations to our incredible team members, dedicated coaches, mentors, and supportive families who made this fantastic season possible. Your passion, hard work, and collaborative spirit continue to inspire us all!
Looking ahead, Oncoming Storm is now focused on raising funds for next year's exciting competitions—and we need your help! Please consider supporting this outstanding community program through a donation. Additionally, the team is actively seeking corporate sponsorships for the upcoming season.
Oncoming Storm loves engaging with our community! Our team is available to participate in local events and open houses, bringing our demo field, interactive robots, and fun educational activities suitable for children and adults alike. Get involved and discover more about the incredible world of Penfield Community FIRST FTC Robotics!
FIRST FTC Team 6996 – Oncoming Storm is a student-led robotics team based at Bay Trail Middle School in Penfield, NY. Founded in 2013, the team was created to bridge the gap between FIRST LEGO League (FLL) and FRC Team 1511 Rolling Thunder. Since then, we’ve grown into a competitive and respected team in the FIRST Tech Challenge program.
While our core team consists of middle school students, the FTC program is open through 12th grade. Once students enter high school, they can choose to remain in FTC, join FRC, or participate in both. This decision is up to each student and their family, with many opting for dual enrollment to explore different challenges and leadership opportunities.
Oncoming Storm emphasizes the full engineering design process—encouraging students to design, prototype, code, and compete while developing real-world skills in communication, project management, and teamwork. We’re about more than just building robots—we’re building confident, capable problem-solvers.
Through community outreach, mentoring, and collaboration, we uphold FIRST's values and work to inspire others in STEM. Most importantly, we create a space where students can grow, contribute, and have fun.
Powered by Community
Powered by Community
Our robotics team doesn’t run on batteries—it runs on people. Every season, students rise to the challenge of designing, building, and competing with robots. But behind every successful team is a network of parents, mentors, and community members who make it all possible. This is truly a community-powered team, and we can’t do it without your support.
We’re not just looking for technical experts—we’re looking for anyone willing to get involved. Whether you have experience in engineering, project management, writing, art, logistics, or just want to support students as they grow, there’s a place for you here. Parents and mentors help by supervising meetings, mentoring students, assisting with transportation and event logistics, supporting fundraising, and—most importantly—creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all.
Your time, skills, and encouragement help more students participate, learn, and succeed. When our community shows up, our students thrive. If you're interested in helping, we’d love to hear from you.
Help Us Build the Future
Help Us Build the Future
Each year, we aim to raise $10,000 to fund essential materials, cover travel expenses, and expand our impact. Your support helps us do more than build robots—it helps us create opportunities.
With your donation, we can:
Sustain our current award-winning team
Launch a second FTC team to meet growing student interest
Create a grant program to ensure every student can participate, no matter their financial situation
Penfield Community FIRST FTC Robotics is a STEAM-powered program that prepares students for future success through teamwork, innovation, and real-world engineering skills.
Important Note: Our program does not receive direct funding from the school district. We rely on generous donors, community sponsors, and dedicated families to make this experience possible.
Your donation goes further!
Rochester Community Robotics, Inc. (RCR Inc.), a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, supports us, and all contributions are tax-deductible.
Together, let’s inspire and empower the next generation of engineers and innovators.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse