Sometimes it only takes one or two games to get bit by the esports bug. In River Valley High’s case, it was two games: League of Legends, and Rocket League. What originally began with a River Valley gaming club has evolved into an esports team, and you love to see it.

It’s about more than just being great at video games though. Esports can teach a lot to a variety of students that otherwise might not be interested in the lessons being offered. It’s a way to educate if you approach it in the right way. So what’s going down in River Valley?

Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork:

One of the brilliant things about esports is how many different types of people come together for it. There are no boundaries, anyone can join. Regardless of background, ethnicity, gender, anybody can come together to enjoy esports.

Jared White, River Valley High’s Rocket League coach spoke about the diversity of esports and what it can do:

“Esports is composed of a whole bunch of students that you wouldn’t find in other athletic arenas such as baseball or football. These students find their passion during online video game competitions with other students and other kids around the world. Our goal is to take their passion for gaming and bring it into the educational environment, so there’s a positive aspect for them to enjoy what they are doing but teach them some of the beneficial components that go with this program.”

Some of the most important lessons can be learned in esports if you let it happen. Effective, strong communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision making are just some of the things you can improve through esports.

Strategy, positive attitudes, and friendships all grow in esports. These are all aspects that come together through online gaming and esports, so this is something that the school focuses on. Kurtis Nielson, RVHS’ League of Legends coach spoke about the system too:

“We had a League of Legends team last semester for the fall and they made it to (the state) quarterfinals,” said Nielsen. “This semester, we have the same team coming back for League of Legends and we also have a Rocket League team.”

These two games are endorsed by the Arizona Interscholastic Association, so that is why they focus on these two games. League of Legends is a great pick to start with anyway. It’s a five-on-five game that emphasizes teamwork, strategy, and everyone having a role on the team. Everybody competing has a job to do, and the players all know what to expect.

“Players have to communicate with one another about what it is that they want to do — when to take certain objectives, when to engage in certain aspects of the game, whether it’s team fights or neutral objective control,” said Nielsen.

Gotta Have Goals:

Both of these coaches point out college scholarships to their athletes, emphasizing how important it is. Esports scholarships are still pretty limited, but they definitely exist. There is a pretty high threshold for these types of scholarships though. Players must rank in the top 10% of the game to qualify.

Nielson gave a great example of how this can give people hope, and open new doors:

“One student who plays League of Legends, our best player of the team, ended last season ended as a Gold 2 rank, which every ranking system has four tiers to it,” said Nielsen. “I’ve never heard him talk of college before, never heard of any dreams or ambitions of college from him. One of the things that he told me was that when the recruiter came to visit, he told him that players have to be in the Platinum 2 tier to be considered for those scholarships. So he told me that he has to get 52 more wins and that is awesome because that means that he sees potential there. So it’s kind of really eye-opening to see other kids having their eyes open to other avenues of attending college.”

Students who may have never thought college would be an option now have that hope. Not all school systems are keen on esports though. The school boards don’t have faith that the kids can juggle the gaming and schoolwork.

Some even think that it’s not relevant and has no use or practical applications. It’s not making them more aggressive or bad people. It’s not making their lessons suffer. They are wanting to improve, in all parts of life.

It’s one thing to avoid “violent” games, but we should really have faith in our students to know what is appropriate and what isn’t. Simply playing violent games doesn’t make someone violent. Both River Valley Coaches are proud of what they have accomplished so far, and of the esports program in general.

“I think the more that we advertise and the more that we get out and talk to kids and show them, the larger this community is going to grow,” said Nielsen. “Maybe a lot more kids will find a home that they can belong to that they may not have thought that they have had before.”

We hope so too, coach. We hope so too.