Valencia High School gearing up to host regional FIRST Robotics Competition

This battle of the bots is billed as the “varsity sport for the mind.” And, for the first time, an Orange County high school will play host to its regional tournament.

The FIRST Robotics Competition’s Orange County Regional will take place at Valencia High School in Placentia March 31 through April 2, challenging 42 student-built robots to overcome any number of design and functionality obstacles. The contest, which we can all agree is a pretty fun way to learn about engineering, is free and open to the public — and will be live-streamed on Valencia’s video website, Tiger Tube.

FIRST, an organization dedicated to inspiring interest in science and technology, says its competitions combine the action of a major sporting event and the rhythm of a rock and roll concert with a mechanical engineering twist. (They had us at “robots.”)

This week’s regional event is set to feature local as well as international teams, and while we haven’t seen a full list of the competitors, we happen to know that Valencia’s TiGears will have the homefield advantage.

For more information, click on the flier to the right, or visit the event website at firstoc.org.