Electronic sports, or Esports, is a competitive sport involving video games. Hennessey High School Principal & Coach Joshua Faulkner said, “Whenever we were in school, our parents told us not to play video games, or to get outside more. All of that has changed now. We have competitive video games in schools.” This is the first year of the Hennessey Esports program. Currently, the Hennessey teams compete only online. There are state tournaments that take place at the end of each season that is in person in a tournament-like setting. They are affiliated with the OSSAA’s league.
Teams function much like athletic sports teams. Each player is assessed on their abilities, and how they play with others, and the starting lineup is chosen, and they have second-string players.
Joshua and his brother Drew work together to coach the competitors. They organize the teams and register players as well as advise on how to play.
It gives kids that have never had an extracurricular activity a place to feel accepted and valued and learn to be part of a team. HHS competitor Joseph Davis stated that he likes to be involved because it gives him something different to do at school.
Universities offer Esports scholarships, and there are professional leagues that pay for competing. There are around 30 students involved in the program, and it is expected to continue to grow.
