Fairfield esports club moves into remodeled space

FAIRFIELD — In just a couple of years, Fairfield High School has gone from having no esports club to having its own room complete with a couple of big screen TVs and 12 computers specifically for gaming.

Esports is the name given to competitive video game playing, an activity that has recently gotten a foothold at some high schools in the area such as Fairfield, WACO and New London. The schools compete against one another in popular video game titles such as Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. and Rocket League.

Fairfield High School’s esports club has moved into a room at the high school that was a computer lab years ago and most recently used as storage for English classes. Through sponsorships, donations and loaned equipment, the club was able to remodel the room with new carpet, fresh paint, televisions, a couch and gaming computers. The club was able to raise enough money to have their own club T-shirts, a uniform of sorts.

John Grunwald, the esports club’s adviser and the district’s technology director, is thrilled with the remodeled space, but he doesn’t want to stop there. He has big plans for the Fairfield esports club and for the sport as a whole. He wants Fairfield to host a ceremony honoring the best esports players from high schools across the country, such as the best player from each state, to create a national award.

Grunwald has spoken with the esports associations at various states, and thus far six have expressed an interest in his idea for a national award and ceremony. Though this is not part of his initial plans, Grunwald said it would be fun for Fairfield to host a national tournament, where the best players from each state competed to be the national champion.

Fairfield resident Walter Day is founder of Twin Galaxies arcade in Ottumwa, which was famous for keeping track of the highest score in the world for numerous video games such as Donkey Kong. One of Day’s hobbies is designing and producing trading cards. He has featured science fiction authors, stars from the esports world, historical figures and prominent people in Fairfield. As of 2019, Day had designed more than 3,500 cards.

Through his interest in video games, Day learned of all the things the Fairfield’s esports club was doing to promote the sport locally and evenly nationally. He visited the club’s gaming room and was amazed. He was so impressed with the club that he designed a trading card to honor it.

“I made them a card because John is a visionary. He is breaking ground by creating this national esports award,” Day said.

Grunwald is quick to point out that he has a lot of help coaching the team. When the club was founded in 2018, its advisers included not just Grunwald but also Tyler Weseman, Cole Boatright and Chuck Benge. Later, Justin Messer and Michael Golden joined the club as assistants.

Fairfield’s esports club is getting recognition even outside the state. When Day was invited to throw out the first pitch at a “Video Game Night” promotion at a minor league baseball team in Wisconsin, he invited Grunwald to go with him and be among those honored for their contributions to esports.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers baseball team in Appleton, Wisconsin, was scheduled to host the video game stars and put their faces on the stadium’s jumbotron before the team’s Tuesday night game against the Quad Cities River Bandits. Unfortunately, the game was postponed due to rain.

Day created framed posters honoring each recipient, including the Fairfield esports club. Grunwald said the framed poster will be hung in the club’s gaming room at the high school. Day also mentioned that he had 500 cards printed honoring Fairfield esports, and every member of the team will get a card, too.

Grunwald said Day’s framed poster will be the first of many things he wants to hang on the wall, with others being a picture of the first six kids in the club from three years ago to a picture of its state semifinalists.