Sato Academy Earns 4th Place at World Drone Soccer Championships

Pictured above, LBUSD staff: Albert Gallo (coach), Jack Mest, Kailexis Huang, Diana Shcherbakova, Kira Black, Sam Jacela, and Ross Tyler.

Long Beach Unified is proud to celebrate an extraordinary achievement by students from Sato Academy of Math & Science, who represented the United States at the FAI World Drone Soccer Championships in Shanghai, China. The team earned an impressive 4th place finish, competing against 28 teams from 18 countries.

Six engineering students from Sato represented the U.S. on behalf of the US Drone Soccer Organization, following their victory at the 2025 U.S. National Drone Soccer Championship in Rome, New York.

On the world stage, Team USA faced highly advanced, well-resourced international programs. The podium was dominated by tournament host China, represented by two elite national teams, and Korea, both backed by well-funded and professional-level support, reflecting the rapidly expanding investment in drone sports across Asia.

Despite these disparities, Sato showcased remarkable engineering skill, strategic flying, and resilience, advancing through multiple rounds of intense aerial competition and securing a top-four global ranking.

“We are incredibly proud of how far these students have come,” said Albert Gallo, Coach and engineering teacher at Sato. “Finishing 4th in the world, competing against some of the most well-funded teams on the planet, is an extraordinary accomplishment. Their success shows what young engineers can achieve through creativity, teamwork, and determination.”