THE ECHO

By Gage Armstrong // Reporter

The AHS E-sport TEAM kicks off its first official season on a competitive level. The games that will be played this year are Rocket League, Minecraft Bedwars, Chess, Tetris, Super Smash Bros Ultimate (SSBU), and Mario Kart 8.

It’s the biggest year yet for this team, and sponsor, now coach, Joseph Ridenour says that the club feels more like a team than just an ordinary club.

“At this level, students are being scouted by colleges,” Ridenour said. “And I know at least one student has gotten a $5000 scholarship for being a commentator.”

E-sports is no longer a small-time group of gamers anymore. Each meeting now goes over different elements such as game theory and hand exercises.

“I cut students who act up, just as a football coach would do,” Ridenour said.

E-sports has a very dedicated group of players, all equally excited about the upcoming season. Vice President, Bella Sheriff says that she enjoys the shift from being just a club last year to more of a real team this year.

“Meeting new people while getting better at what I do is a real highlight for me,” Sheriff said.

E-sports is an entirely virtual club, and the new tech laws don’t exactly make it easy. Since are no longer allowed during school hours, Ridenour says they are working on new ways for club communication.

“E-sports has a lot to do with digital connectivity,” Ridenour said. “So it’s going to be hard for us to figure out how to communicate on the apps we used to use.”

The new law makes it especially hard for students who don’t have access to devices outside of school. Sheriff says that they are finding ways to work around this and hoping to find a resolution to the limitations on devices.

“It’s harder for us to bring in our own devices, especially for those who don’t have devices in the first place,” Sheriff said. “It’s a little bit harder compared to last year where we could bring in whatever. We have to stay switch only because no other thing is really portable. “

                Despite this, expectations are still high for the year. Ridenour and Sheriff both shared excitement for the upcoming season.

“It’s our first year at a state level, but my expectations is to land in at least the top 20 percent,” Ridenour said.