PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: Richland One Launches Competitive Esports Program for High School Students

Gamers at all of Richland One’s high schools now have the opportunity to play on a competitive level against students across North America.

Richland One launched its competitive esports program this semester. Dreher High School was the first school in Richland One to have an esports program when it started in 2018. Madalyn Hazlett, Richland One’s esports coordinator who was Dreher’s esports program advisor at the time, said the program was created to build a community of gamers.

“We saw how powerful that community was for students who didn’t have one at school, to be able to come and join together,” she said.

In 2024, the district approved funding for each of the seven high schools to have a gaming lab that includes 12-14 gaming computers and one to two Nintendo Switches. Hazlett said she thought she’d never see esports expand outside of Dreher.

“I was absolutely shocked. I could not believe that we were not only getting approval to play games, but also that the district was willing to invest money in it so that these students can actually compete in real leagues and have a fighting chance with this awesome equipment,” she said.

Depending on the school, students have the option to join Overwatch 2, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Rocket League and League of Legends teams. There are 21 teams across the district, with each team having three to five players.

Esports teams have fall and spring seasons, with each season lasting approximately two months. Both seasons will conclude with two weeks of playoff games. Practices normally take place early in the week, and games are later in the week.

Online platform PlayVS organizes the matchups, while also allowing schools to build and manage their teams, check schedules and track match stats. There is also a rivals feature that allows schools to face off against their rivals.

Teams are structured similarly to regular sports teams. There is a head coach and two assistant coaches for each team, and every team has a team captain.

Sophomore Berkeley McCants is the captain of Dreher’s Mario Kart 8 team. She says she’s been playing Mario Kart since she was six years old. As team captain, her job is to make sure her teammates are at the top of their game and are better players by the end of the season. 

“I want my teammates to be at the best of their capability. I know that I’m dealing with people that have been playing ever since they were five years old, and I’m also dealing with people who just want to play for fun,” Berkeley said.

Communication and teamwork are two big skills Hazlett says students are learning through esports.

“A lot of these students have been playing these games solo, so we’re having a hard time getting some of them to communicate during a game and that makes all the difference, just like in any sport,” said Hazlett.   

Eau Claire High School senior Kevin Gordon is the captain of his school’s Overwatch 2 and Rocket League teams. He understands that some of his teammates are adjusting to working as a team.

“Sometimes they listen, sometimes they don’t. At the same time, I have to teach them to listen better and work better as a team,” Kevin said.

Outside of their esports programs, Berkeley and Kevin are athletes. Berkeley plays softball and believes esports is just like regular sports.

“You’re putting your mental capacity at an all-time high. You have to be physically fit, and you have to be able to have that reaction speed. You can’t sit there, go in and be like ‘I’m going to eat my chicken nuggets and I’m going to play video games all day.’ It’s not like that,” Berkeley said. “You’re going to sit at the controller and you need to be able to tell when things are being thrown behind you.”

Kevin plays football and baseball, and he plans to enlist in the military after graduating from Eau Claire in May. He says the teamwork skills he’s learning on his esports teams will help when he goes into the military.

Hazlett says the district-wide program has given more students a sense of belonging, which goes back to why she helped launch Dreher’s program seven years ago.

“I had a student come up and tell me that this was the first club that he joined where he really felt like he belonged and he was in an environment where people were building him up and he can rely on his teammates,” she said.

Hazlett says she’s looking forward to seeing the esports program grow in its first full school year in operation next school year.

“Esports is now accessible for everyone, and I’m excited to see the program grow as more students learn about it,” she said.

Berkeley says she’s happy to see Richland One recognize esports on a competitive level.

“I’m glad we’re finally getting recognized as a sport and not just some niche little club. We are getting recognized as something that’s on the high school level, and that’s insane to me,” she said.

Kevin and Berkeley encourage students who love video games and are good at them to jump in and join their schools’ esports programs.

“If you have an esports team at your school, go for it. If you’re good at something, do it,” Kevin said. 

For more information about Richland One's esports program, contact Madalyn Hazlett at madalyn.hazlett@richlandone.org.