U.S. Drone Soccer Association

What U.S. Drone Soccer Association does

U.S. Drone Soccer Association (USDSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Milton, Georgia, that serves as the recognized governing body for drone soccer in the United States. It is designated by the Academy of Model Aeronautics as the Special Interest Group for FAI F9A Drone Soccer, sanctioning national championships and selecting Team USA for international competition through the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). The organization runs a hierarchical competition structure spanning District Qualifiers, District Championships, and National Championships across 11 AMA Districts covering 28 states and more than 270 institutions, with over 750 registered K-12 students.

The core product is the U.S. Drone Soccer Program, a K-12 STEM education offering in which students build, program, and fly full-contact team drones inside netted arenas that fit a school gymnasium. The technology stack is based on open-source, modular, repairable drone components (motors, electronic speed controllers, flight controllers, batteries, and frames) programmed through professional-grade open-source software such as Beta Flight. Adjacent training and certification modules (Referee Training, Battery Charging, League Operations, Advanced Drone Certification for Educators, and FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot prep) extend the core curriculum, supported by a self-serve members portal (members.usdronesoccer.org) and the LeagueOS tournament-management platform.

USDSA is funded through a mix of 501(c)(3) charitable donations, corporate sponsorships (Marathon Petroleum, MzeroA, RemotePilot101, iFlight, Gemfan, VCI, Braxton Miller, and others), event-based merchandise (e.g., $19 championship shirts), and an affiliate equipment partnership with Drone Sports, Inc., the authorized equipment provider. Distribution relies on AMA District leaders, direct educator outreach, weekly office hours, and competition events, with a small operations team (1-10 employees) managing national outreach, media relations, and international coordination with FAI/NAA.

Name

U.S. Drone Soccer Association

Legal name

U.S. Drone Soccer Association

Website

https://usdronesoccer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

U.S. Drone Soccer Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as the U.S. governing body for FAI F9A drone soccer, running K-12 STEM programs, district-to-national championships, and Team USA international competition across 28 states and 270+ institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth STEM Education and Drone Sports Programs

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAFAC

National Governing Bodies (NGBs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

SECONDARYMPAKACAD

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYHSADAEAN

Refereeing, Officiating & Rules Training

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Sports Coaching & Athletic Performance

Keywords

• Drone soccer
• STEM education programs
• K-12 competitive athletics
• FAI F9A esports
• Unmanned aerial sports

Headquarters

HQ city

Alpharetta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (Tax ID: 99-0616654), the organization relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations to fund operations and student programs.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial and in-kind support in exchange for visibility and association with the STEM education mission. Sponsors include Marathon Petroleum, MzeroA, RemotePilot101, iFlight, Gemfan, VCI, Braxton Miller, and others.
3. Merchandise Sales: The organization sells branded merchandise including t-shirts commemorating National Championships (e.g., 'Battle At the Beach' shirts priced at $19.00), directly through its website shop.
4. Equipment Provider Partnership: Drone Sports, Inc. is the authorized equipment provider for U.S. Drone Soccer Association. While the organization does not sell equipment directly, this partnership drives equipment sales into the school network, indirectly supporting the ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The U.S. Drone Soccer Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers the U.S. Drone Soccer Program, a K-12 STEM education and competitive team sport in which students build, program, fly, and compete with drone soccer teams inside netted arenas. The core offering is supported by training and certification modules (referee, battery charging, league operations, advanced educator certification) accessed through the members portal, and a tiered competition structure (District Qualifiers, District Championships, National Championship) whose U.S. national champions earn the right to represent Team USA at FAI F9A World Championships.

Product overview

U.S. Drone Soccer Association operates a unified educational sports program centered on drone soccer competitions for K-12 schools. The core offering is the U.S. Drone Soccer Program, which combines STEM education with competitive team sports. The program is supported by a suite of training and certification modules (Referee Training, Battery Charging Certification, League Operations Training, and Advanced Drone Certification for Educators), all delivered through a membership portal at members.usdronesoccer.org. The Association organizes a hierarchical competition structure spanning District Qualifiers, District Championships, and National Championships, with the national champions earning the right to represent Team USA at FAI F9A World Championships. Merchandise such as the 'Battle At The Beach' championship apparel is sold to support the mission. The program utilizes the LeagueOS platform (Fly.USDroneSoccer.US) for tournament management and team administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• U.S. Drone Soccer Program A K-12 STEM educational program where students build, program, fly, and compete with drone soccer teams. Students learn engineering, aviation, coding, problem-solving, and teamwork skills through full-contact drone soccer gameplay inside netted arenas, implemented as classroom enrichment and after-school competitive clubs.
• Membership Portal Online portal for team coaches to access resources, collaborate, register students, manage teams and rosters, and engage with the U.S. Drone Soccer community. Provides training materials, tournament management tools powered by LeagueOS, and team roster management.
• National Championship Events Annual national championship tournaments serving as the pathway to representing Team USA at FAI F9A international competitions. Includes district qualifiers, district championships, and the national championship event.
• District Qualifier and Championship Events Regional competition structure across 11 AMA Districts covering all U.S. states, determining which teams qualify for the National Championship.
• Referee Training and Certification Training and certification program for learning to referee drone soccer matches, including how scoring works, when to call penalty shots, and match officiating procedures.
• Battery Charging Station Training & Certification Safety certification for properly charging drone batteries, addressing responsible handling of multiple battery units and safety protocols for competition excellence.
• League Operations Training Training on using Fly.USDroneSoccer.US (LeagueOS) platform for managing teams and scoring tournaments. Essential training for District leaders and event organizers.
• Advanced Drone Certification for Educators Professional Development combining best practices from aerospace industry and youth athletics. Prepares educators to lead drone soccer programs and supports FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot License preparation for students.
• 2026 'Battle At The Beach' Official National Championship Shirt Commemorative merchandise for the 2026 National Championship event, with proceeds supporting the U.S. Drone Soccer mission to inspire students in aerospace and science careers. Priced at $19.00 per shirt.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 750 students registered in the program with projected growth beyond 1,000 students through 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Host venue for the 2026 National Championship 'Battle At The Beach' on May 18-19, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Provides facilities and academic credibility to the event.
• Long Beach Unified School DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025District where Sato Academy and Cabrillo High School are located. Both schools have won National Championships and represented Team USA internationally, showcasing the program's success within the district.
• NYPDminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023First police department to introduce drone soccer as a youth engagement program, teaching teenagers about technology through the sport.
• Space FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnered in 2020 to host a limited-time exhibition allowing visitors to play drone soccer, bringing visibility to the sport.
• Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMA is the organization recognized by FAI as the sole organization authorized to direct USA participation in international aeromodeling activities. USDSA is recognized by AMA as the Special Interest Group (SIG) for FAI F9A Drone Soccer for the United States.
• Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAI is the world governing body for all air sports, recognized by the International Olympic Committee. USDSA operates under FAI Sport Licensure for F9A Drone Soccer, enabling U.S. National Champions to represent Team USA at World Championships.
• National Aeronautic Association (NAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAA is the United States representative to FAI and a founding member. AMA is an associate member of NAA, establishing the chain of authority through which USDSA operates.
• Drone Sports, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized equipment provider for U.S. Drone Soccer Association. Supplies competition drones, replacement parts, and equipment kits to schools and teams in the network.
• Marathon PetroleummajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor whose Los Angeles refinery has a partnership with Cabrillo High School's drone soccer program, contributing to the school's success including a third-place world finish.
• Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space MuseummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver-based partner operating drone soccer teams (Wings Over the Rockies Predators) and hosting programs and camps. Contributes to the competitive ecosystem.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• REC Foundation (VEX Robotics): REC Foundation operates VEX Robotics competitions — the dominant K-12 competitive STEM league in the U.S., with district, state, and world championship tiers. Directly comparable structure to USDSA: school-based teams, hierarchical competitions, STEM credentialing, and a national championship pathway.
• Drones in School: Drones in School is a STEM education program that teaches students to build, program, and fly drones through classroom curricula and competitive events. Closely comparable to USDSA in audience (K-12 schools), product (drone build-and-compete), and business model (educational competition league).
• MultiGP Drone Racing: MultiGP is a community-driven drone racing league with chapters and competitive events nationwide, similar to USDSA's grassroots, district-organized model. Both organizations run multi-tiered amateur competitions with a national championship structure targeting hobbyist and student drone pilots.

Broad incumbents

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST runs the largest K-12 STEM competition ecosystem (FIRST Robotics, FIRST LEGO League, etc.) with thousands of U.S. teams and corporate sponsorship. Comparable audience, school-based team model, and tiered competition structure, but at much greater scale and broader robotics focus rather than drone-specific.
• Project Lead the Way (PLTW): PLTW is a leading K-12 STEM curriculum provider adopted by thousands of U.S. schools, with aligned career pathways in engineering and computer science. Comparable as a standards-aligned K-12 STEM program competing for the same school adoption and CTE budget dollars that fund drone soccer.
• Drone Racing League (DRL): DRL operates the most prominent professional drone racing league globally, with STEM education programs in schools and a broader drone-sports brand. Comparable because both target youth STEM engagement through competitive drone sports, though DRL focuses on racing rather than soccer and operates at much larger venture-backed scale.

Others

• Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA): AMA is the U.S. national aeromodeling governing body that recognizes USDSA as its Special Interest Group for F9A Drone Soccer. Comparable as a national governing body and sanctioning organization for air sports, with an overlapping audience of model aviation participants and an analogous governance role relative to FAI.

Emerging players

• Drone Sports, Inc. Drone Sports, Inc. is the authorized equipment provider for USDSA, supplying competition drones and parts to the school network. Comparable as a commercial drone-soccer ecosystem participant; an adjacent rather than competing entity since it monetizes the equipment side of the same sport.
• USA Drone Soccer (Korea Drone Soccer Association): The Korea Drone Soccer Association is the originating and dominant national federation for F9A Drone Soccer globally, having hosted the inaugural FAI World Championship. Comparable as a direct foreign counterpart running the same sport under the same FAI sanctioning framework.

Regional players

• USA Fencing: USA Fencing is the U.S. national governing body for fencing, recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and international federation. Comparable as a niche amateur sport national governing body operating a tiered competition structure and Team USA selection pathway, though in an established sport with much longer history.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@usdronesoccer
• Facebookfacebook.com/USdronesoccer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usdronesoccer
• Instagraminstagram.com/usdronesoccer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about U.S. Drone Soccer Association