Stafford Middle School's Kickstart Team brought home two Overall Grand Champion titles and 15 first-place finishes from the 2026 Cowboy Up Martial Arts Championships in Round Rock.

The team competed Sept. 25–26 at Kalahari Resorts against martial artists of all ages, styles and ranks. The tournament is part of the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) World Tour.

Beyond the 15 golds and two Grand Champion honors, Stafford competitors earned five second-place finishes, four thirds and one fourth, Stafford Middle School announced on X.

The results are the latest in a strong fall for the program. The school reported in September that the team collected 54 medals, including 37 first-place finishes, at the Hurricane Nationals in Galveston.

The run builds on years of tournament success. In May 2025, the Stafford Kickstart Kids Demo Team won a state championship title. The team's instructor, known within the district as Master G, was recognized alongside his students at the May 19, 2025, SMSD Board of Trustees meeting.

In February 2024, the team brought home 50 gold medals, 44 silvers and 32 bronzes at the Spring Qualifier, sending 88 competitors to regional championships. That May, both the beginners and advanced demo teams won first-place finishes at the 2024 Martial Arts Mania tournament.

Kickstart Kids is a Texas Education Agency-recognized physical education program founded in 1990 by martial arts champion and actor Chuck Norris. The program teaches character through karate during the regular school day. About 8,349 students are enrolled across 55 Texas public schools, according to the organization's website.

The Stafford Municipal School District Board of Trustees approved an $80,000 Kickstart Kids agreement for the 2026–2027 school year at its May 11 meeting. The deal keeps the program at Stafford Middle, a grades 6–8 campus with 678 students.