Oxford Hosts High School Robotics Tournament, Boosts Local STEM Opportunities

The VEX V5 Robotics Competition Open tournament was held Saturday at Oxford High School, bringing students from across the region to compete under Smart Field Control. The event followed REC Foundation judging guidelines, with awards presented Saturday afternoon. Organizers required a Participant Release Form for every participant and scheduled equipment inspection first thing in the morning, a prerequisite for teams to take the field.

Tournament activities included skills trials, qualification matches, alliance selection and a final playoff session. Team interviews were conducted in person, while judging for some awards included remote review of digital engineering notebooks submitted in advance. The event had a registered capacity of 16 teams, allowed up to three registrations per organization, and was listed with more than half of its spots open before the registration deadline of December 1. The registration fee was seventy five dollars per team and concessions of pizza, drinks, snacks and candy were available on site with cash preferred. Volunteers were requested to support the day.

For Lafayette County the tournament serves as both an educational showcase and a policy signal. Hands on robotics competitions offer practical experience in engineering, coding and project management at a formative stage. Yet the event also underscores questions about equitable access to such opportunities. Fixed registration fees, per team capacity limits and requirements for digital engineering notebook submission can favor well resourced programs that have staff support and technical infrastructure. The tournament model depends heavily on volunteer labor to staff inspection, field operation and scoring, pointing to the need for sustainable school and district investment if participation is to expand.

Oxford High School hosted the event at 101 Charger Loop in Oxford. For schools and community groups considering future participation the tournament structure demonstrates logistical priorities to plan for, including early inspection, prepared engineering documentation, in person interviews and alignment with REC Foundation rules. Local officials and education leaders can view events like this as testing grounds for broader decisions about extracurricular funding, transportation assistance and volunteer recruitment to ensure Lafayette County students have equitable access to STEM learning outside the classroom.