Video gamers at Mississippi High School Activities Association schools will have an opportunity to compete with each other this school year.
The association launches an esports pilot program this year and Kosciusko Athletic Director Macy Wilbanks said her school would likely want to participate.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the NFHS Network have entered into a partnership with PlayVS to begin the rollout of esports competition in high schools throughout the nation.
“Our board has approved a pilot program,” said MHSAA executive director Don Hinton. “There will not be any championship or any type of postseason play.”
“I would love to see our school participate in the program,” Wilbanks said. “We have a video gaming club. The guy in charge of the club (Wes Carlisle) is excited about it and wants to be part of it.”
The Koscusko High School Gaming Club had 13 members last year.
“We try to engage our club members in understanding the technology, history, art, music, development and cultural impact of video games for the past 40 years,” Carlisle said. “We also try to make sure they are engaged in sharing their experiences with other players.”
Esports in Mississippi will be classified as an activity, not a sport. Current activities include band, cheer, dance, choral, speech and debate.
“This is one more way to try to reach students who may not be participating in a school program right now,” Hinton said.
“As schools look to provide participation opportunities for high school students, esports is a great option on two fronts,” said Mark Koski, CEO of the NFHS Network. “First, esports may involve students who haven’t been involved in a sport or activity in the past. Second, the costs to implement esports are minimal compared to starting a traditional sport, which can be extensive with equipment and facilities.”
Koski noted that 72 percent of teens play video games on a regular basis and nearly 200 colleges in the United States and Canada offer esports scholarships.
Additionally, companies within the esports industry hire candidates with varied gaming experiences, including those with esports competition on their resume.
Student teams are matched up with other schools based on skill level. There is no traveling. Matches are played within schools and are facilitated by the PlayVS online platform.
Schools are required to have a faculty advisor, computers and internet access. Participation fees for students are $16 per month.
The program is currently being fine tuned, but Hinton said the pilot program will likely begin in October.
