ESports Club Catches on with Dimond Gamers

For the first year ever, an ESports Club has begun at Dimond High School. This new club has taken the gamers of Dimond by storm, allowing them to express their passion for video-games in a fun and competitive way with their peers.

ESports is a competitive video gaming community filled with gamers from across the globe, coming together to compete in high staked competitions.

“We learn to play games, but also we learn how to communicate with other people online,” said Senior Taekyung Yoon, a member of the ESports club.

There are three titles the ESports Club is aiming to play: Overwatch, Rocket League and League of Legends, all of which are competitive.

The ESports club is still in its early stages and is trying to still get games like Overwatch approved from the Anchorage School District, and Rocket League working on school computers.

“We are currently doing three sports, but we do have interests in other sports. If someone says ‘Here’s a fun game,’ that’s multiple players that we can make a team out of. It’s more about connecting students who do play, rather than having one specific person,” said Noah Marrs, president of ESports Club.

Even though video games might not be the most typical thing you would expect to find in the school environment, it seems that they are bringing kids together.

“You can make groups of people who never knew each other before into friends just by having a game, which I never would think is bad,” Marrs said. Members of the club have been trying out new games and are planning to improve on them once they get fully set up.

“I like to play games, especially League of Legends. I have been playing for five years,” Yoon said.

Sophomore Hajin Shim said,“I am maining League at the moment, League of Legends.”

Marrs said, “I’m currently in Overwatch, and I want to get better at League.”

Although not available yet, Overwatch, a first-person shooting team-based game, is looking to be one of the more popular titles in ESports Club.

“Overwatch is very popular in America and in the U.S. right now,” Yoon said.

Shim said, “The district does not approve of FPS, first-person shooting, games right now.”

Marrs said, “But I think we could move if we just give them reason to, so we are making strong points.”

Competitions are being planned for the ESports Club, and members are going to be practicing and forming teams to compete against others.

Shim said, “We are going to go against East, and I’m pretty sure we are planning to going to go against schools in Fairbanks.”

Marrs said, “We are planning to go against schools nationally. We can easily go against people in places like Kansas online.”

Yoon said, “I think we will be the best this year, I’m pretty sure about that!”

Although competitive, ESports Club does not require members to be skillful in one of the titles to join.

“All you need is a good GPA and you don’t even have to like know, how to play the game.” Shim said. The minimum GPA to join ESports club is 2.5.

The ESports club is being coached by security guard EJ Eduarte, who helps students with the games and practices. Engineer Teacher Wade Roach hosts the club in his room every Thursday, allows kids to use his computers and helps them set the games up.

Noah Marrs has worked hard to make the club a reality.

“I am a sophomore, but I am the president because I spent a lot of time on this. Like staying after school on the computers downloading and making sure everything can run,” Marrs said.

When competitions do start, members will try out for teams for each game.

Marrs said, “There are teams, so it’s like when you try out for football, there will be cuts.”

Shim said, “For competitive there is a $60 fee if you make the team.”

It’s obvious that members are eager to get into the games and start prepping for the rigorous competitions. Even in its early stages, ESports Club has managed to catch the attention of dozens of students at Dimond.