HAMILTON, Ohio — Most after-school activities traditionally include sports like basketball, soccer or football. Now, a new activity at Hamilton High School is available for kids: esports.
The idea came from English teacher Michael Neri, who said he was inspired two years ago when he attended a tech conference that included a session with esports Ohio. He thought it would be a great opportunity for students at the high school.
Now, in the program's first year, Neri is the head coach for the school's esports team.
"The competition gets pretty intense sometimes," Neri said.
The team plays in what they call their "arena" inside Room 438 in the school.
Neri said the team currently has 29 students on its roster.
They play a mix of Fortnite and Super Smash Bros. against other high school esports teams across the state. Neri said they play their matches virtually from their arena.
Take a deeper look inside the "arena" here:
Parents might assume it's just a place to mash buttons after school, but Neri said it gives kids a chance who may not participate in traditional extracurriculars an after-school activity that fits them.
"It's been really nice to see different kids from different walks of life coming together and interacting in a super positive way," Neri said.
One of those kids is Dean Calvert, the team's senior team captain.
"I'd say it gives me a place to connect with grades lower than me and the people around me," Calvert said.
Calvert said gaming is his favorite hobby, but one that most people typically do alone at home.
He said the arena helps him connect with others.
"It's nice to be here in person with other people as well," Calvert said.
Teammates like Angel Perez, a junior on the team, agreed.
"From a personal standpoint, it gives me a little bit of confidence even just to sit here in a room with people who were initially just complete strangers and talking to them and getting to know them," Perez said.
Neri said that's exactly why he started the program: to give kids a chance to get involved.
"It doesn't require any sort of particular background or experience, anyone can get involved with gaming if they want to," Neri said.
Neri hopes to keep expanding the program to bring in more kids who want to join the team.
"There needs to be things to help bring kids in and bring them to the table and get them excited about school, and I think esports is just a different way of doing that," said Neri.
