Some content courtesy of PlayVS

Asheville High and SILSA are offering teams in Rocket League, Mario Kart 8, NBA 2K, Madden, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate for the 2025 spring season. Additional games may be offered in future seasons. 

All equipment and games are provided by Asheville City Schools. If your student athlete has a controller, monitor, or console that they would prefer to use in school or from home, they may as long as it is compatible with the PlayVS system. Equipment will be tested prior to match day to ensure compatibility. If student athletes play from home, family's must purchase copies of the games in which they compete. Cost of games vary.

Yes! The ESRB, or the Entertainment Software Rating Board, rates each of the games offered by PlayVS as either T for Teen or E for Everyone. Since 1994, this council has provided ratings and content descriptors for nearly every game released in North America.

Parental controls on a gaming device allow a parent or guardian to monitor their child’s gaming habits even when they are not around. These controls can block video games based on the ESRB rating, limit or block in-game purchases, set time limits for the amount of time a child spends gaming, and choose who a child can communicate with while playing. For a detailed breakdown based on your child’s device, see the ESRB Parental Controls guide here.

While this is arguably one of the more difficult challenges a parent can face with a child who enjoys gaming, there are steps parents can take to monitor the time their child spends online without negatively impacting their experience.

• Communicate Regularly - According to the ESRB, holding a conversation with your child can not only set clear expectations for gaming but show that you understand and support their passion.

• Stay Clear & Consistent - The limits to playing, the consequences for breaking the limits, and the application of these limits should be clear and consistent regardless of the amount of time you and your child agree to spend playing video games.

• Continually Reassess the Rules - As your child matures, or after time has passed, you may find that the limits were too strict or loose for their current lifestyle. Staying flexible will allow you to understand the logical “stopping points” of a gaming session, and reduce any opportunities for negative reactions when enforcing the rules you’ve agreed on.

• Observe, or even Play! - Being around your child while they are gaming helps build your knowledge and informs your decisions when implementing any gameplay limits. Over time, you’ll learn which games can or cannot be paused, and that all games have a natural flow of gameplay that, when stopped, can be a perfect time to step in.

As online information, including video games, is widely available, it is important to maintain a safe space for you and your child. Utilizing parental controls will help limit communications and the amount of personal information your child shares online and ensure their emotional and physical well-being is prioritized while playing games.

PlayVS handles your private information with care, and remains transparent with how you and your child’s information is processed and shared. For more information, view our Privacy Policy here. Additionally, to align with federal guidelines, PlayVS is COPPA-certified for users under 13 years of age.