The Team
“It’s never been about the robots. We don’t use kids to build robots. We use robots to build kids”
Our Story
Founded in 2012, The Alameda Aztechs began as a group of 10 students, one parent mentor, and a physics teacher at ASTI (Alameda Science and Technology Institute). With the help of Team 115, MVRT, The Aztechs dived into their first foray in the world of FIRST, the 2012 FRC game: Rebound Rumble. At Silicon Valley Regional that year, the team received The Rookie Inspiration Award, for being an example of the spirit of FIRST: persistence, gracious professionalism, good humor, and a consistently functional robot.
Picture of the first robot built by the Alameda Aztechs. Competing in 2012's Robot Rebound, it amounted to a basic chassis.
Since then, the team has grown considerably, as well as moved from their home at ASTI, to Wood, and most recently to Coast Guard Island where we currently reside. Many team members have graduated and gotten into colleges such as Harvard and UC Berkeley, pursuing majors in subjects such as mathematics, engineering, and anthropology. New Aztechs join each year, allowing the team to keep going, growing and achieving new heights.
Picture of the the robot built for FIRST Stronghold in 2016.
The Aztechs have proudly participated in every FRC season since 2012, incrementally improving their robots and performance. We have participated in the Silicon Valley Regionals (2012 - 2019, 2022 - 2023), San Francisco Regionals (2017 - 2019, 2022 - 2025), and East Bay Regionals (2024 - 2025). The team has also competed in the CalGames Off Season Competition (2013 - 2019, 2022 - 2023, 2025).
As the team improved, we were able to start gathering an increasing number of awards. In 2024, team member Mikayla M. was Dean’s List Award Finalist at the San Francisco Regional, and later that same year the team won the off season competition, CalGames. In the 2025 season a team mentor, Maria Thorne, was awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award at Pinnacles Regional, and during the San Francisco Regional the team went to their first Finals.
Picture of the 2024 robot, lovingly named "Horse with No Name", next to the driver station at SFR.
The Robots
2012
Rebound Rumble:
"Roxanne"
2013
Ultimate Ascent:
"Cassie"
2015
Recycle Rush:
"Rex"
2016
Stronghold
2018
Power Up
2019
Destination Deep Space
"Clinky"
2022
Rapid React:
"WWYRM"
2023
Charged Up
"H-enry"
2024
Crescendo
"Horse with No Name"
2025
Reefscape
"Fun-el Cake"
Awards
Mentors and Graduating Students along side "Funel Cake", the 2025 robot, at SFR after the team's first Regional Finals.
Rookie Inspiration Award
The Rookie Inspiration Award celebrates the rookie team exemplifying a young but strong partnership effort, as well as implementing the mission of FIRST to inspire students to learn more about science and technology. It was removed in the 2025 season and replaced with the Rising All-Star Award.
The team received this award in 2012, their rookie year, during Rebound Rumble.
Cal Games
Cal Games is an off season event that happens in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Alameda Aztechs were finalists in 2023 Charged-Up and won the 2024 season of Cal Games, Crescendo.
Dean's List Award
In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of the most outstanding secondary school students in FIRST, the Kamen family sponsors awards for selected 10th or 11th grade students known as the FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Dean’s List Award.
These are then trimmed down to 10 Dean’s List Award Winners.
In 2024, a student from the Alameda Aztechs, Mikayla M. was selected as Dean’s List Award Finalist at the San Francisco Regional.
Regional Finals
FRC events are divided locationally, with competitions either taking on District format or Regional format. California used the Regional format until the 2026 season.
When competing in Regionals, the Aztechs were able to reach the final in 2025, Reefscape along with teams 8033 Highlander Robotics, and 3970 Duncan Dynamics.