Bolton Central School added a new extra-curricular activity to engage our middle school students. An Esports club for students in grades 6-9 was introduced in the beginning of January, 2024.
Currently interested students are playing Esports at the local level once a week afterschool under the supervision of their coaches. This provides an opportunity for the students to have Esport experience for the competitive program we plan on implementing next year when we join the PlayVS platform. The Play VS for Esports platform is limited to students ages 13-18. It is a free platform that connects students with other competing schools for virtual competitions.
Thanks to the support and expertise of our Technology Director Mr. Ronning, our Esports participants were all set up and ready to go when an exciting option was presented. An Introduction to Occupations guest speaker learned about our new Esports program and facilitated an Esports session with his school district in New Jersey, the Wallkill Rangers. This was a great opportunity for our students to experience live, competitive gameplay consistent with what the Play VS platform will offer. We’re looking forward to what next year will bring and the growth of the program. Thank you to our amazing teachers who keep an eye on the new technology options and ensure our students have safe access to new opportunities.
Over the last several years the fastest growing extracurricular program in US schools has been Esports. For those who do not know about Esports, it is the competitive format of video gaming. Schools across the country have been embracing Esports as a way to involve a whole new population of students who may not be interested in traditional athletics or other academic extracurriculars. It has been shown to improve student attitudes as well as performance in academics. Perhaps best of all, it offers more students a place where they fit in and increases their self-esteem as they make new friends.