If you want to know more about the history of robotic sports, please see the links and material below.
Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports by Brad Stone
In the early nineties, a visionary special-effects guru named Marc Thorpe conjured a field of dreams different from any the world had seen before: It would be framed by unbreakable plastic instead of cornstalks; populated not by ghostly ballplayers but by remote-controlled robots, armed to the steely teeth, fighting in a booby-trapped ring. If you built it, they’d come all right….
“A Brief History of Robot Battles”
RobotBattles.com was established in 1991 and has a great summary of the beginnings and evolution of robotic combat sports.
FIRST “For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology” was incorporated in 1989 and has a rich history in the robotic sports and education world.