The “March Madness” of robot building high school students is finally here.

In a regional robotic championship, hundreds of students are putting seemingly endless hours of work on the line.

With fans in the stands waving flags and holding signs, the Alamo Regional championship For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, or FIRST, feels like a Friday night football game.

“It isn’t like a sporting event. It is a sporting event,” Westlake High School student Jeff Pflueger said.

Pflueger and his fellow ChapRobotic teammates said there is excitement in the air.

“It’s kind of like football for robotics kids, people interested in technology, it’s that level of excitement," student Garret Witowski said.

FIRST hosts robotic competitions throughout the year. Each student works with professional mentors to design a robot to accomplish an assigned challenge.

“I enjoy working with the mentors and learning from them and drawing upon their experiences and gaining experience of my own," Witowski said.

As teams compete, the students gain skills they can use outside the competition.

“It’s a great experience, it teaches you problem solving and engineering skills that you’ll need later on in life," Pflueger said.

It also gives the students a hands-on way to apply what they’re learning in the classroom.

“There’s a bunch of people, you talk to people. You help people. There’s a good air of competition and sportsmanship,” Anderson High School competitor Ilan Buzzetti said.

The Alamo Regional championship in San Antonio is the precursor to the finals in St. Louis, Miss. later this spring.

To learn more about the program click here.