On Friday, March 11, 4-6 p.m. in the Keim Center, Ravenscroft is hosting its first-ever esports tournament — and organizers invite Middle and Upper School students with an interest in gaming to attend, learn about this emerging school-sponsored sport and even get some tips from the tournament’s registered participants.

Esports is the world of organized video-game tournaments, and now that the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association has officially sanctioned competition among its members, Ravenscroft and other independent schools across the state are ready to level up.

“Many universities are giving scholarships in esports, so I started doing some research on school programs,” Sarah Wike, Ravenscroft’s Director of Educational Technology, said. “At the same time, several peer schools started reaching out to us to gauge our interest in competing. Cannon School in particular has a very large and robust program. We see this tournament as a soft launch to learn how many of our students might want to get involved in an esports program.”

As a popular activity at a growing number of independent schools, esports aligns well with curricular goals in technology and innovation.

“Effective technology programming helps students grow in skills they might not practice in other school disciplines and find community with people who share the same passion. It’s the very reason we have a department of Innovation, Design and Engineering where students learn primarily through experiential components and projects,” Chief Information Officer Louis Tullo explained. “Esports provides a robust co-curricular opportunity for our students, and particularly those who thrive in IDE courses, to take their learning a step further. Thriving in an interdependent and complex world cannot ignore the multibillion dollar esports industry, especially when some of the possible outcomes for students include college scholarships as well as internships and connections that can lead to future careers.”

In their planning for this first event, Wike and Tullo have been joined by several faculty members with experience in esports and gaming. One is Upper School English teacher AJ Mezoff, who joined Ravenscroft this year. Mezoff served as head coach of an esports team at his previous school, Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio — which was the first girls’ school in the country to have a varsity esports team. He said that the growing field offers “a wide array of benefits” for Ravenscroft students.

“Many of the traits the school seeks to foster through Lead From Here — resourcefulness, collaboration and resilience, among others — are crucial to success in esports. In addition, there’s a lot to be said for the social function of esports: it brings students together and allows them to connect beyond their interactions in the classroom,” he explained. “We also know that the landscape of high school gamers is varied and diverse. As a result, school esports programs can help to promote inclusivity.”

Middle School counselor Merrit Cole, who is herself an avid gamer, said that she views school-run esports programs as “very similar to The Social Institute’s approach to teaching students about social media and technology. Video games are a part of many young people’s lives and the social world, and gaming is likely here to stay! With that in mind, creating spaces at school to engage in age-appropriate video games in a fun, collaborative and supervised way can be an incredible way to tap into students’ passions and help them develop a healthy relationship with gaming.”

“Here’s what I love about this concept,” Wike added. “A lot of our kids play web-based games online, often against other online players they don’t personally know. A school-managed esports program will get these students — many of whom don’t play other sports — together to collaborate, negotiate and take on leadership roles in a team environment. We’ll also have non-gaming opportunities for involvement, such as broadcasting and video production.”

Friday’s event is a double-elimination, one-on-one tournament featuring the game Rocket League, which its developers bill as a “high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem.” The game is rated “T” (Teen), so students ages 13 and up were eligible to register. Participants were required to attend a meeting where tournament logistics and expectations for sportsmanship and player etiquette were discussed.

Students in Middle and Upper School are invited to attend (there will be free pizza!) and watch their fellow Ravens compete for prizes including a Razer Shark V2 Pro wireless gaming headset. There will also be a dedicated space for students who want to learn more about esports and Rocket League from experienced players.

“Dipping our toes into esports through this initial tournament between our students is exciting! I hope it provides a new space for them to find a sense of belonging,” Tullo concluded. “Eventually, we plan to have a competition-ready team for the NCISAA.”

Want to know more about the growing world of esports? Read our June 2020 Q&A with Todd Harris ’86, founder and CEO of Skillshot Media, an esports operator, and co-founder of Hi-Rez Studios, a video game developer.