WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WENY) -- Drone Soccer is a fast-paced, high-tech game that resembles soccer, but instead of kicking a ball, players fly drones. This innovative sport is gaining traction in schools across the country, including the Watkins Glen School District. 

Educators say it's more than just a game; it's a way to introduce students to aviation, engineering, and teamwork. 

"[GST] BOCES started a drone soccer league and was looking for teachers or staff who were interested in working with students to teach them how to build and program and fly drones through a sport," says Trish Ervay, sixth-grade science teacher at Watkins Glen School District. "So it's learning about aviation and playing simultaneously, so it's a great way for kids who might not have known they might be interested." 

The game is played with five active drones per team, each piloted by students. The goal is to fly a designated "striker" drone through the opposing team's hoop while defenders attempt to block it. 

A key challenge is collaborating with your team to achieve a single goal, including the Striker, Forward, Center, Sweeper, and Keeper. 

For students like Gabe, who plays defense, the role is all about strategy. 

"I protect the ring. So I was the one flying in front of the ring itself, being able to block the striker from the opposite team from striking to get scoring, and I'm the one that's up. I'm stopping the points from going through. I'm the final line of defense," explained Gabe. 

Operating a drone requires skill. In this scenario, students must learn to control the drone carefully, ensuring it doesn’t crash or lose stability. 

"You have to go slow because it goes fast," said student Alexis. "If you're trying to go forward, you don't want to press hard because it could break or it could not go forward and start going backward. Or, like, if you're going up and down, you don't want to go fast to go up and down; you just want to hover." 

Drone soccer is a competitive sport that provides students with a unique hands-on learning experience in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 

"[Students are] getting the experience of being on a sports team, getting experience of being teammates, working together and, additionally, learning those skills, the technical," shared Melanie Chandler, Director of Technology at Watkins Glen School District.  

Students are developing teamwork and technical skills through drone soccer, which offers more than just a game. This high-tech, all-contact sport is a launching pad for future aviation, robotics, and engineering careers. 

These local students are participating in a tournament scheduled for the weekend of February 8th. This tournament gives one team from the participating Southern Tier schools the chance to advance to the state level and potentially compete in national championships this spring.