PORT CLINTON — While some people view video games as a waste of time, many colleges and high schools are recognizing the benefits of gaming, including fine motor skill improvement and future career opportunities. Port Clinton High School noted the advantages gaming can give to its students and formed an esports team.
The Port Clinton High School esports team is in its second year of competition, and after three years, it can become an official school sport.
The team has 13 members who compete against other schools in two games: a fighting game called Super Smash Brothers and a sports-themed game called Rocket League. The games are chosen by Esports Ohio, the governing board for state esports teams.
Choir teacher Bruno Bush and science teacher Taylor Freeman coach the Port Clinton High School team.
In addition to fine-tuning their fine motor skills, the team members utilize logic and critical thinking skills as they game.
“I’m really passionate about the fighting game because the players have to utilize adaptation skills,” Bush said. “You have to be able to read your opponents’ habits and adapt to their weaknesses.”
For players such as senior Zavier Manning, who formerly ran track, esports is another opportunity to play on a team sport.
“I heard about it, and the idea of playing games at school sounded fun to me,” Manning said.
For other students who are not interested in traditional sports, esports gives them their first opportunity to be part of a team.
“Many of them never tried out for a team before. Many have never been part of team sports,” Bush said.
For some, the team experience led to leadership opportunities, which has both immediate and long-term rewards.
“Some of them never had the opportunity to be a captain. Our captain this year is doing really well,” Freeman said. “Esports are designed to be student-led, not teacher-led, and our captain is doing a great job coaching the players to be better players.”
Esports, Freeman said, is the second most-watched sport after the Super Bowl, and it creates many career opportunities in the field.
“You can be a tech person or in marketing. You can get into esports as a player or to work behind the scenes,” Freeman said.
If a student chooses to pursue a college career in a different direction, esports can still impact their future.
“Many colleges are adding esports scholarships,” Bush said. “It’s great they are breaking down stereotypes of esports.”
In the midst of all those benefits is a lot of fun. The team meets twice a week after school for practice and once a week for competition, when they play against other schools across the state. With the exception of regional competitions, which will be held at Lourdes University in May, all competitions are online.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Manning said. “I ended up getting a Switch so I could play at home with my brother and friends.”
Although it is only in its second year, Port Clinton High School’s esports team is doing exceptionally well. It ranked in the top four teams in the state last year, and some of this year’s players are undefeated. Team gaming brings the players’ skills to a higher level.
“I’ve been playing Smash Brothers since I was probably 10, and I think I’ve improved a lot. Being on a team showed me I’m not as good as I thought I was when I was younger,” said player Chance Sayre, a junior.
Game improvement isn’t the only thing Sayre gained as a member of the esports team.
“I’ve met a lot of new people,” he said. “At first, I didn’t know a single person in esports. Now all of us are friends.”
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at [email protected].
