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Esports isn’t all just fun and games.
Hobart High School has had an esports program for four years now. Nearly 50 students are involved in the sport, which entails competitive video game playing. The students and their coaches take their fun very seriously.
“We’re not just after school playing video games,” General Manager of Brickie Esports, Christopher King, said. “It’s about so much more. It’s about teamwork, strategy and making sure [the students] are good sports.”
During the season, the students meet after school every day Monday-Thursday to practice one of more than eight different titles, including “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” “Minecraft,” and “Valorant.” The teams have at their disposal two massive computer labs, several televisions and Nintendo Switches. They also have an iRacing simulator which plays a type of car racing game designed to actually feel like driving a car.
The six students on the varsity “Valorant” team took home the state championship at the Indiana Esports Network Finals late last month at Ball State University.
Nathan Musick, the team captain of the “Valorant” team, said the team came from behind in the first-person tactical shooter game to win the state championship.
“We never faltered,” Musick said. “We had the confidence in each other to come back.”
The Brickies esports team has four coaches, all of whom want to dispel the notion that esports isn’t a serious competitive endeavor.
Ben Horjus is an English teacher at Hobart High School and also one of the coaches on the team. He expressed frustration that despite the incredible popularity of video games among a variety of demographics, gaming still has a reputation of being a waste of time and can lead to poor social skills.
“This isn’t just a place to play, but to train,” he said. “There’s a stigma around games. Esports clubs make (playing video games) not destructive. We try to dispel the ‘awkward gamer’ stereotype.”
The coaches said sometimes parents are skeptical about the value of esports. But many colleges and universities are now offering scholarships to esports players, which King said sways many parents. One student on the varsity “Valorant” team, Makayla Scott, was even signed by Manchester University’s esports team and will play on their “Valorant” team in the fall. Several other students have also been awarded esports scholarships.
But beyond scholarships, the coaches stressed that the Hobart esports club can offer students, many of whom aren’t involved in traditional athletics, a chance to be a part of something valuable.
“Esports serves as a place for kids who have no other place to go, to meet new friends and be part of a team,” King said.
Shaun Doyle coaches the “Valorant” team and said he appreciated the community that the esports team is able to cultivate.
“These kids have become a family with each other,” he said. “All types of students come together — theater kids, football players, everyone.”
Most of the students in the Brickies esports club play “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” a popular fighting game.
Marcus Fernandez is a junior on the “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” varsity team who said he joined the club because he enjoys watching professional esports players and would like to be one himself someday. He said he’s enjoyed meeting all of the other players and learning from and growing with them.
“It’s great to have people better than you (in the club), you learn from them,” Fernandez said. “It’s made me a much better player.”
Coach Gregory Crouch said he decided to get involved with the club because he wanted to be a part of place where kids can be themselves. Like the other coaches, he stressed that esports is a serious competition involving strategy and teamwork, and said the hardest part about being a coach was picking up the kids when they were down. Students from all skill levels are able to join, so making progress is an important thing, Crouch said.
“The best part is the sheer sense of joy and elation on the kids’ faces when they reach their goals.”
Jared Quigg is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.