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Esports continues to grow in popularity
Provides students with another extracurricular activity to participate in
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MARENGO — We’ve seen pickleball grow as a popular niche sport in adults, and the same can be said of esports for high school and college students.
Short for electronic sports, esports is competitive video gaming.
Iowa Valley has joined a growing number of high schools in the state of Iowa that has added an esports team.
The team started competition in the spring, but the idea came the previous fall.
“We went last fall to the Iowa Technology and Education Connection conference,” Iowa Valley esports coach Ashton Linnell said.
After seeing a presentation on esports, Linnell thought this would be a great activity to add at the school.
“I texted Janet (Holst-Behrens) after saying we think we can do this,” Linnell said.
Holst-Behrens is the school’s principal.
Linnell shared a presentation with the school board in January, and the board was in full support.
“The board was super excited about it,” said Linnell.
After approval, signups were posted, and the Tigers competed in the spring season.
Competition in the spring was in Mario Kart, followed by Super Smash Bros in the fall. The current winter season is Rocket League.
Mario Kart and Smash Bros both require six players, while Rocket League only requires three.
There are a few other competing games in these seasons, but these are the three that Iowa Valley has competed in as it completes its first calendar year of participation following the winter season.
It has certainly helped that the state of Iowa has its own governing body to help manage and communicate with all participating schools.
The Iowa High School esports Association was founded in 2019 and had its first full season in 2020-21.
As more and more schools have joined, it has had to continually adjust things, but Linnell said they have been at communicating and helping with any questions.
Enough school around the state compete to make multiple divisions for state competitions necessary, dividing competition by school size.
esports have helped to provide another extracurricular activity for students to engage in, and it has a low barrier for participation.
“Esports has a low barrier of entry,“ Linnell said. ”It doesn’t cost any money, and, although most students do, a gaming system is not required at home.“
The school has several gaming systems in the team’s practice room that is available for after school practice.
Competitions are also remote, limiting the expense of travel.
At the college level, esports has grown to a point where schools recruit and offer scholarship money, providing an opportunity for those passionate about it at the high school level.
Esports has provided another channel for students to engage and be in a group with others. An outlet to provide a feeling of belonging for those who are passionate about the sport.
“It’s been so good so far,” Linnell said on the first year of esports at the school.“ We have a total crew in total of about 10-12.”
The winter Rocket League season will conclude with the State finals Feb. 26-28 at the Orpheum Theatre in Marshalltown.
The Tigers opened up their Rocket League season with a victory over Central Springs Dec. 10.
