“What is esports?” I hear you ask. Esports officially stands for “electronic sports,” but this should not be confused with just video games. Esports is organized competitive gameplay between two teams governed by specific game rules and regulations. Popular esports titles include Overwatch, League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Rocket League. It is becoming a worldwide billion-dollar sports industry. Esports has exploded in popularity in the last 5 years, attracting sponsors like Coca-cola, ESPN, Mountain Dew, and Champion. Sporting venues rivaling those of baseball stadiums and concert halls have been sold out, pre-pandemic of course. 

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), “esports can provide a gateway to colleges and universities. The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the main governing body for varsity collegiate esports, has awarded millions of dollars in esports scholarships and aid over the last five years. Currently, more than 200 colleges and universities offer nearly 15 million dollars in scholarships.” Esports requires communication, teamwork, strategy, and leadership to be successful. NFHS explains, “It reaches beyond traditional sports to create an all-inclusive environment that breaks barriers.” What makes esports especially unique is that you not only play teams in your local area, but can also compete internationally with teams all over the world. It has become a popular high school sport across the US.

Missouri has its own esports high school organization known as Missouri High School Esports Association or MHSEA. Its charter is to support the growth of high esports by providing education and ensuring equal access for students to join competitive leagues. MHSEA oversees 50 high school clubs in the state of Missouri including Francis Howell, Notre Dame, Parkway West, CBC, and Vianney. At Vianney, for instance, “competitive gaming is structured and treated like any other competitive sport or club at Vianney High School. Students practice and compete week-by-week in state and nationally-sponsored PC gaming leagues. Currently, our competitive program engages in Overwatch, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros: Ultimate, League of Legends and Rainbow Six: Siege, with our Rainbow Six: Siege team being ranked #2 in the nation among high school competition.” CBC also boasts a 1500 square-foot Esports Center on campus with 48 gaming PCs. 

The Ravens have tremendous potential to take on not only the local Missouri teams, but also other national esports teams. Priory has strong STEM students with the technology skills and critical thinking abilities to become a top team in the esports scene. We need to invest in the creation of an esports program.