BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WCIA) — Saturday there will be a momentous event at Bloomington High School that has been in the works for several years for the Illinois High School Association.
The event is the first-ever esport Illinois state final, and it will feature 30 schools and about 130 competitors from across the state.
The games students will compete in are “NBA 2K” on the PlayStation 4, “Rocket League” on the computer and “Super Smash Bros.” (singles and doubles) on the Nintendo Switch.
IHSA Associate Executive Director Kurt Gibson said it has been a “five-year journey” to get to this point, dating back to when officials attended a gaming conference, in which participants played “League of Legends.”
“While our staff that was there had no idea what was going on within that video game, we could see that the inner-workings of the team were similar to what goes on in all kinds of high school sporting events and activities,” Gibson said. “We saw it as an opportunity to bring something that has been traditionally done outside of school into a school setting, where students can work with a coach or teacher.”
Gibson said that organizers originally envisioned the state tournament being held in the spring of 2020. However, it was delayed because of the pandemic as schools were faced with much greater challenges, in terms of how to even approach daily instruction.
Gibson also said that IHSA intends to change the games offered on a year-to-year basis, based on what is popular and easily-accessible for schools.
“We’re always trying to keep our eyes and ears open to things that are happening in our member schools, and when the amount of participation gets to the level that’s called for in our by-laws, then our board of directors can institute that new sport or activity,” Gibson said.
Last week, there were eight sectional events in which 130 high schools competed face-to-face, as opposed to virtually, as video games are traditionally played.
Danville Area Community College was one of the host sites in the area, with Mahomet-Seymour, Armstrong and Milford competing.
“We see nothing but growth (happening) for this activity,” Gibson said. “It will not surprise me if in the very, very near future over half of our (school) members enter our state series, especially, when they see how successful it has been this year.”
Gibson noted that colleges across the country are beginning to invest in esports and offer scholarships for participants. Likewise, he sees opportunities for students to practice their broadcasting skills during streams of the events, or even compete at the professional level.
Similarly, another benefit Gibson views of instituting esports, is that it has given students an opportunity to showcase their talents and feel more involved in their school.
“Gaming has really been able to bring a number of students into the fold who may have not been as necessarily connected with their school,” Gibson said.
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