Now, you may be wondering, “What exactly is eSports?” Well, the dictionary definition states that it is “competitive tournaments of video games, especially among professional gamers.” But what does it mean to the BGHS team? Esports coach and District Network Engineer Omar Moncayo Vazquez tells us, “Esports is like traditional sports, but instead of playing physical games like soccer or basketball, players compete in a digital space.” Even though it is digital, it can still teach you real-life skills; it can teach teamwork, strategy, and communication similarly to physical sports. You know what eSports is, but what kind of games do they play?
For eSports, there are many different games that gamers play. Some of the most common games to play are shooter games, either first-person shooter (FPS) or third-person shooter (3PS/TPS). These are games like Valorant, Fortnite, and Apex Legends. The E-sports coach at the BGHS said, “[We play] team-based games like Rocket League and League of Legends as well as games like Super Smash Bros., Ultimate, and Madden.” Many eSports games are heavily team-based and meant to help the team grow as one. Whether the game is an FPS or for casual gameplay, eSports games are always meant for a team.
As of October 2019, Bowling Green High School students interested in gaming met every Tuesday to grab a controller and get their game on. People at BGHS love eSports because it is a fun and exciting way to bring people together and grow bonds and lifelong friendships. One student on the e-sports team, Bryan Jerez Orellana, says, “I like esports because of the people; it’s entertaining, and you make a lot of amazing memories.” The 2023-2024 season hasn’t started quite yet, but the Rocket League team went on to win the fall 2021 state championship and was the runner-up in the 2022 fall season. The team is consistently practicing in hopes of winning this year.
Esports is a universal sport, much like regular sports. Through eSports, the team grows a connection and plays to win and have fun, no matter what type of game they play. So the next time you play a video game with a team in your room or on your couch, you’ve already started an eSports journey.