Esports is Here, in Manteca Unified!

Esports has finally become an official high school sport, and Sierra High School students are leveling up to help define a new type of student-athlete.

What is Esports?

Esports, or Electronic Sports, is the world of competitive, organized video gaming. The games played in Esports range from multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), survival battle royales, virtual recreations of physical sports, or role-playing games (RPG). Esports requires teamwork, communication, strategy, practice, and critical thinking – just like traditional sports!

What does Esports in high school look like?

Like many high school extracurricular activities, Esports requires students to attend practices, meetings, and sanctioned matches. While some tournaments and matches may be played in person at an event, most take place from the team’s respective campus.

The Sierra High School Esports team is preparing for their first set of matches on April 1, 2020. The team will compete in two 5v5 League of Legends matches. One will be played against Bear Creek High School and the other against Stagg High School. The Timberwolves have been practicing 2-3 times per week to perfect their in-game communications (comms), strategies (strats), and overall gameplay.

What equipment is required to participate?

A typical school library or media room contains the main equipment needed to compete in Esports: a computer, a mouse, and a keyboard. Items such as a headset, microphone, or controller are supplemental.

Currently, the Sierra High Team uses their District-issued devices, but are actively seeking opportunities for donations, or discounts on upgraded gaming rigs.

What are the benefits of participating in Esports?

Character Development

Esports provides many benefits to a student, that the typical sport or extracurricular activity provides. It requires communication, teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking, and much more.

Like all extracurricular activities, Esports requires students to hold a certain level of eligibility. Studentathletes must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better, and have good citizenship marks in the classroom.

Sense of Community

For many, video games can contribute strongly to teen friendships. Esports allow individuals who share the same passion to come together to compete, play, and learn.

Typical sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and soccer have always been strongly celebrated on high school campuses. According to Digital Wellness Lab, 80% of teens aged 13-17 own a video game console, and 56% play video games for an average of at least 1 hour per day. Competing in Esports allows for a large unrepresented group on campus to be recognized and celebrated.

Scholarship and Job Opportunities

According to NCSA Sports, over 175 colleges in the United States compete in Esports. Each of these schools offer partial or full-ride scholarships totaling almost $15 million dollars.

Careers are becoming more available with the growth of Esports. Opportunities include broadcasting, game design, graphic design, video production, and more!

Safety

As with all sports, student-athletes must find a balance between practice, school, family, friends, and rest. Screen time should always be monitored. Setting clear guidelines for device and computer free times can help find each student’s unique balance.

All games offered for competition are either rated “E for Everyone” or “T for Teen.”

Sierra High Timberwolves - Esports Team

Roster

Coach - Ms. Dianna Puett

Team Captain/Player - Calvin Ragadio

Players - Travis Sanchez, Konnor Spears, Sameer Salehi, Matt Azevedo, Kale’Ah Arrivas