The Esports Club is enjoying a successful second season at RHS. In this club, playing video games is treated like a competitive sport, allowing players to test their gaming skills against lightning-fast opponents from other schools.
“My ultimate goal is to have this be classified as an actual sport at school,” said Jeremy Autore, who advises the RHS club. Autore, by the way, takes his gaming seriously and is just as likely to be found playing as his students are.
The club recently prepared for the upcoming spring season with a successful Super Smash Bros. tournament, where Esports members from different schools had the opportunity to test their gaming abilities against their peers.
“I feel the club played well as a whole,” said Autore after the tournament, “and I think this was important for them before the upcoming season, as it gives them a picture of where they are at and where they can still improve and get to.”
The basic operation of the Esports club is divided into three parts. The first part is in-person coaching from Autore, who advises members on how to improve their gaming skillset, either during lunch or after school on Wednesdays.
The second part is getting playtime to practice. For this, freshman Joshua Rondon moderates the student-run Discord server, the online hosting site, which allows players to notify others when they’re ready to start a game and then lets them connect, so they can play online whenever they wish.
Rondon noted that, since this is a beginner-friendly club, this playtime gives newer members the opportunity to practice with their peers. “For most people, at least having a week of playtime in the game would be good,” he said.
Having playtime helps gamers improve their abilities, including speeding up their reflexes and improving their strategic thinking, which ensures that all members feel comfortable with both the workings of the club as well as the game itself.
Finally, players can participate in competitive, inter-school tournaments, which are coordinated by Generation Esports, a video gaming organization. “I love that the Esports club is not just interacting with people in the same school, but it also connects you to entirely different communities,” said Andrea Richards, a new club member. Richards explained that each Esports club has one or more teams that compete against other schools in official tournaments. Club members can choose which teams they want to be on for each game.
While Esports is still in its beginning stages at RHS, members have taken big steps to promote the club and create a larger following. Now that the Super Smash Bros. tournament is over, the gamers are eager to continue competing and honing their skills.
The Esports club is open to all players, no matter their level of experience. Anyone who is interested in joining can reach the club adviser at [email protected]. Club members are also available to answer questions for any potential new member.
