- This electronic extracurricular is back for Maricopa Unified School District.
- E-sports elevating skills like problem solving, teamwork, and communication for students in Maricopa.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
These cyber students play strategy-based sports where they can learn to think quickly and make decisions that can impact the outcome of the game. E-sports are back and ready to do battle, representing the Maricopa Unified School District.
“It's cool stuff there’s some straight-up smart individuals that are doing this stuff, and they talk just as much smack as those of us in the traditional sports,” says athletic director of Steve Fitzsimmons.
Fitzsimmons says students might compete but they are always there to help each other and that the camaraderie is outrageous between e-sport students in Kern County.
There is value in this sport like any other sport and Superintendent Micheal Coleman says students can be proud to be a part of a team where they get to wear their school name and colors. It could take years to build up any sport in a school, and just three years ago, Coleman gave students another opportunity to learn how to work together, how to compete fairly, how to win, and how to lose, through these virtual competitions.
“Doesn’t matter if you're on a field or you're on a desk digitally playing against because there’s a human being on the other side of that screen right and they're learning how to compete and I think that’s a valuable thing” says Coleman.
E-sports are offered to 6th through 12th graders in the Maricopa Unified School District. This year's e-sports coach and JV captain of last year's esports team gives me the rundown on the importance of e-sports, and why more students should get involved.
“It's good for team building and if you are not athletic and into the physical sports, you can still be a team and get that healthy competition,” says e-sports coach Kylee Howell.
“It's very good for getting some kids to participate after school with other students instead of going home just being shut inside all day” continues Brayden Carlon, a senior at Maricopa High and JV captain of last year's e-sports team.
These digital athletes get the chance to ‘rep’ their school… provide a little school spirit… and battle other schools throughout Kern County.
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