Monarch JROTC Robotics Team Builds Skills and Confidence at National Competition

by David Volz February 3, 2026

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The Monarch High School Army JROTC robotics team. {David Volz}

The Monarch High School Army JROTC robotics team competed in the Kalari Classic Army Cadet Command National Championship in Sandusky, Ohio, on January 25 -26.

Monarch and South Plantation were the only robotics teams from Broward County to compete in the event. While the Knights did not place highly in the competition, they gained valuable experience and had the opportunity to meet robotics teams from across the nation, according to John Acevedo, Senior Army Instructor at Monarch.

“I think we did well in the competition, and we will be working on improving for the next competition,” said Acevedo.

The team participated in a competition in which they drove a robot they built and programmed, and played a game similar to hockey.

They worked to get the robot to place a ball in a goal against a robot operated by another team. The team members also competed in three skills competitions.

“To be successful, a team must have a good driver, and members must be really good at coding and building robots,” said Acevedo.

Now the Knights robotics team is preparing for a state competition on February 14 in Tampa. If the team performs well there, they could earn a place in a national tournament in St. Louis.

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David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.