Penfield Community FIRST Robotics
Oncoming Storm FTC 6996

FIRST Tech Challenge Team 6996 – Oncoming Storm is a student-led robotics team that works out of Bay Trail Middle School in Penfield, NY. Founded in 2013, the team was created to bridge the gap between FIRST LEGO League (FLL) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 1511 Rolling Thunder. Since then, we’ve grown into a competitive and respected team within the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) program.

Our team includes both middle school and high school students. The FTC program is open to students in grades 7 through 12, offering a hands-on opportunity to explore engineering, coding, and leadership in a smaller team environment where every student plays an active role.

When students enter high school (9th grade), they become eligible to participate in FRC and can choose to remain in FTC, join FRC, or participate in both. Many choose to dual-enroll, allowing them to gain experience in both the precision and innovation of FTC and the large-scale collaboration of FRC.

FTC runs parallel to FRC—both programs are robotics at their core, but each offers a distinct experience, much like band and orchestra or baseball and football. They share the same purpose, teaching robotics engineering, teamwork, and leadership, but they play out differently in scale, strategy, and style. This variety gives students the freedom to choose the experience that best fits their interests and learning goals while still staying within the broader FIRST Robotics community.

Oncoming Storm emphasizes the complete engineering design process—encouraging students to design, prototype, code, and compete while developing real-world skills in problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. FTC provides the opportunity for students to take on meaningful technical and leadership responsibilities earlier, preparing them for future challenges in both robotics and beyond.

Through community outreach, mentoring, and collaboration, we uphold FIRST’s core values of Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition, inspiring others to explore STEM fields. Most importantly, we create a space where students can grow, contribute, and have fun—because learning is better when we do it together.

Our Penfield FTC program is proud to represent the Oncoming Storm legacy, supporting the next generation of innovators. FTC is the fastest-growing FIRST Robotics program worldwide, with thousands of teams competing each season. The competition is challenging and rewarding, demanding creativity, persistence, and teamwork to succeed.

We’re growing rapidly in Penfield, with plans to expand into multiple FTC teams to meet student interest and ensure that every participant has a chance to design, build, and compete. Beyond competition, our students mentor younger teams, host outreach events, and collaborate across the community to share the excitement of robotics. We believe every student should have access to a pathway in STEM that fits their skills and interests—because in Penfield, FTC is where future engineers, programmers, and leaders take their first big step.