Here at Wooster, students have the opportunity to try something new every trimester, whether a sport, art, or theater. Starting this year, during the Winter Trimester, Mr. Fischer and Mr. Newbury are teaching a new sports curriculum, Competitive Esports. In the wintertime, options are limited, so this new option really helps students who aren’t as interested in sports like basketball or hockey thrive. One thing that Wooster strives to implement as a core value, is to provide for all kids, and make sure that they’re making meaningful connections with other peers, while doing things that they love. Esports can also have many benefits such as improved cognitive skills like spatial awareness, problem-solving and decision-making, as well as teamwork and communication dispositions.
Even though winter is normally Mr. Fischer’s off-season, he couldn’t turn down this new opportunity to get coaching experience in a different, non-conventional way. He describes that although he loves to play video games, he’s never played competitively, and he and Mr. Newbury have gotten very into it. At the moment, the Esports team is playing League of Legends, and in the second half of the trimester they’re going to play switch games such as Super Smash Bros, and students seem to be very excited about this prospect. During our interview, Mr. Fischer said, “I think my favorite thing has been seeing new friendships being formed and watching kids exchange plans to play together and practice when they get home.”
It was inspiring to learn about how students can do something that makes them happy, while also forming new connections with peers. Not everyone has interest in physical sports, and no kid should feel left out for not liking the same things. This new sports offering is continuing to move Wooster further, and expanding to become more inclusive for each and every student. When we go to school each morning, every kid should feel excited that their needs are being met, and this new offering is a step in the right direction.
See even more about Esports:
