To comply with CDC and Arizona requirements, we are posting our plan for practice and games. All players will need to read the requirements and follow them. You can find our return plan here.
Purpose:
The purpose of this website is to help organize our varsity and recreational Esports teams at Holbrook High School. We also want to spread the word about our teams and recruit new members. We also have a computer lab at school that will be open for practices on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This might change based on which games we are currently playing.
History:
Established in 2018, the HHS Esports team is the newest sport/activity added to our list of offerings for Holbrook High School. The state of Arizona had announced that they would begin state championships for Esports in 2019. For over a decade, Esports has been growing in popularity and success.
What is Esports:
There was a lot of debate about what to call this new sport/activity. Most people call it Esports or electronic sports. Some people have dedicated enough time and energy to become experts in specific video games. As odd as it might sound, there is enough people who like watching these experts play that we now have streaming platforms like Twitch.Tv and live broadcasts on Youtube. After an increase in viewers, we saw sponsorship deals and tournaments with prize pools. At first, the money was small and it did not draw a lot of people. Now we have professional Esports players who are competing against other teams from around the world for big prizes. The 2018 World Championship for League of Legends boasted a prize pool of 6 million dollars. The money wasn't just won by the players, but their entire organization. Esports is not only about the players. There are Esports coaches, shout-casters, analysts, team managers, etc. At Holbrook High School, we are building our own microcosm of this world-wide sensation. Our team competes against schools from all over Arizona, and we don't have to travel! We can even set up scrimmages against teams all across the US. Right now we only have a coach and players, but we are hoping to grow into the media production side of Esports. This year, we will work to setting up live broadcasts for parents and fans to watch our games.
Why Esports:
Hundreds of colleges are recruiting and offering scholarships (over 10 million dollars this year) for Esports and the list of colleges grows every year. We are even seeing programs starting for training in team management, image consulting, broadcasting, etc. Other mainstream sports are getting involved. The Golden States Warriors (Golden Guardians) and Cleveland Cavaliers (100 Thieves) have invested in professional Esports organizations. For a few years, the former LA Laker's player Rick Fox was one of the faces of Esports. We work with an organization called Playflyand they setup our schedule and tournaments. They also encourage healthy play and competition. While there are some players who fit the stereotype of the 90's video gamer, most of the professional Esports players resemble soccer players. To play for hours at a peak performance, these professional players have diets designed by dietitians, rigorous exercise routines that are established by personal trainers, and coaches who look out for their emotional and physical health. While we don't have the resources to match professional teams, encouraging healthy habits is a part of our team's culture.