By Dameon Jensen and Yurem Roman, SHS Social Media
Many students ask the question, “What is esports?” Esports is a competitive gaming outlet for students. Students play video games and have fun, but also have good sportsmanship. Our esports team competes against other schools in tournaments. In addition to teaching History and Drones, Mr. Branden Russell is also Springville High’s Esports team advisor and coach.
If you’re interested in when Esports is available, both meetups and sign-ups will continue throughout the coming Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, from 4 to 5 pm in Mr. Russell’s room, B-207. Esports features many modern and family-friendly games like Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Rocket League, and even Street Fighter. So if you’re interested in the competitive games esports offers, it's worth trying out to represent our school’s competitive side of gaming.
Some people don’t see or acknowledge the important skills esports has to offer. Teamwork, communication, social skills, and time management are some of the few life skills that esports help strengthen. Games like Rocket League and Mario Kart encourage teamwork and communication.
This is our third year going. Our school hosted esports back in 2020 and carried a few titles like Smash, League of Legends, and Rocket League. It went on hiatus for a bit but, now with Ken Garff partnering with the high schools, esports has extra funding and opportunities.
The primary motivation for the team’s coach—who also teaches history and aviation drone technology—stems from a lifelong passion for gaming and a desire to provide student players with a structured, competitive outlet.
A major milestone for the program came with a top-three finish at the state tournament in Street Fighter. Under the guidance and training of Coach Russell, club members refined their strategic skills, resulting in a proud podium appearance for the school's emerging esports initiative.
If you or a friend are interested in joining esports, head to Mr. Russell’s classroom, room B-207, and ask how you can be a member of the esports team.