One of the fastest-growing high school sports in Pennsylvania is one that you probably wouldn’t guess: electronic sports, also known as esports.
With the rise in popularity, school districts throughout the commonwealth have added esports to their list of school-sponsored sports and clubs.
And last month, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association (PIEA) opened registration for its 2021 season, which will offer high school esports teams the opportunity to compete for Pennsylvania’s first high school esports championship.
The PIEA, established in 2019, is the only statewide interscholastic esports league. The nonprofit is working to position esports as a viable and credible high school activity, while educating school administrators and parents about the benefits of esports.
Rep. Mike Puskaric, R-Allegheny and Washington County, who was recently named to the PIEA Board of Directors, said esports provides an opportunity for school districts to expand their extracurricular activities for students “in a way that has a positive impact on their science and technology learning.
“There is no ignoring the momentum of the esports industry, but it’s also crucial to understand the positive impact that esports can have on our local students, especially in the midst of a pandemic,” said Puskaric. “I’m honored to be working with the PIEA to help bring those possibilities to the students here in Southwestern Pennsylvania and provide them with the many benefits that result from esports programming in an academic setting.”
Puskaric joins other legislators, along with educational and community leaders, on the board with the goal of providing regulatory oversight and competition guidelines for interscholastic esports in Pennsylvania.
“It’s kind of the wild, wild west out there right now,” said Bill Thomas, a member of the PIEA Board of Directors, noting several other for-profit and nonprofit esports platforms that have risen out of the sport’s popularity.
Currently, about 150 schools across the commonwealth have an esports team; so far, 20 have officially joined the PIEA, a number that Thomas said will continue to grow.
Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Philadelphia County, whose young sons are interested in STEM learning and video games, said she has seen firsthand the benefits that esports offer. Among them: In 2018-19, U.S. colleges offered more than $16 million in esports scholarships. Additionally, esports offers career opportunities for video gamers and students interested in STEM professions.
Puskaric also emphasized the correlation between competitive gaming and STEM and other careers, including hand-eye coordination that translates into the operation of drones and aircraft.
Said Bullock, who also serves as the chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, “I want to ensure that every student from all communities in Pennsylvania has the same level of access to esports competitions. There is a connection between academic and social-emotional achievement for students engaged in esports and that opportunity needs to be available to all students,” said Bullock.
Thomas pointed out that 90% of high school boys and 85% of high school girls play video games, “so you’re able to capture a whole lot more students who aren’t necessarily involved in the school community,” Thomas said.
Puskaric agreed, noting, “This is going to open up more opportunities for students to have that experience of being a part of a team.”
Esports, or professional gaming, has been on the rise on the professional and academic level for the past half-decade.
This spring, the PIEA plans to have a championship season where teams will compete for two game titles – in the video games Overwatch (a first-person shooter game) and Rocket League (an arcade-style combination of soccer and car racing).
“It is about building that community, building rivalries that are vital and important to students. The students themselves are looking forward to their local competition. They want to play their rivals, the teams they play in other sports and other competitions,” said Thomas.
Schools can sign up to join the PIEA and register their teams online through March 12. About 30 teams have officially registered for the spring season so far.
PIEA aims to have 48 to 64 teams competing in each game title, Thomas said.
The PIEA’s season is slated to begin March 18, with the championships taking place in May.
And, Thomas said the PIEA classifies esports as a sport, but acknowledges some schools consider it a club.
“For us, it doesn’t matter what a school determines it to be. Initially, some schools were looking at it as a club and from that, you grow a competitive team,” said Thomas.
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