NASEF was excited to attend Midwest Battleground, a premier esports event in the Chicagoland region. Featuring open tournaments, invitational matches, and high school competitions, players from across the U.S. competed in Overwatch 2, Valorant, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. 

There was a high level of excitement and energy in the room throughout the matches. Feedback from parents reinforced how scholastic esports is a thriving community where their high school students are developing crucial skills for success in both professional and personal life.

“Esports is beneficial because there’s a place for everybody, and a great community is building between all of the schools and students,” said Kristi Hollingsworth.

Emily Conquest noted the skills that are developed as part of the experience. “Esports provides an opportunity for students to practice both teamwork and leadership skills and to interact with students from all around the state. My son enjoys the data collection and statistical analysis of the sports and the games.”

Teacher Karl Spencer is building an esports program at Plainfield East High School. He said, “I enjoy running the esports program because it allows me to see different groups of kids who would otherwise not be active within our school community. Equipment is always a struggle, but we’ve picked up free monitors here and there, and asked for some donations to get started. It doesn’t take much; kids wanna just play games and hang out with friends, so the equipment will come in time.”

Megan Welch, a teacher at Riverside Brookfield High School, said, “This tournament has been such a cool experience because there are just so many computers here and in such a vibrant lit-up area. The kids can play whatever games they want, and on state-of-the-art equipment. That’s a really big opportunity for them compared to the equipment they have at home.”

She added, “It’s important for the students to experience what a tournament looks like and feels like; that will help them think about going into college esports and to not be overwhelmed by it all.” In addition to the tournament aspect, the event offered a perfect opportunity for high school students to connect with college teams and coaches.

Hands-on and informative workshops were offered by NASEF as well as other partners. Welch said, “Some of my students were able to learn how to build a PC this morning; that’s really an awesome educational opportunity. It was very valuable for them.”

 Catch the excitement of the event in this highlight video: