Stay Plugged In recruiting specialist, Chris Baeza, recently spoke with Alyssa Beck-White with Gilbert High School about their esports program. Beck-White, who is the coach of the school's esports team, shared that they currently compete in Rocket League, League of Legends, and Smash Brothers.
Located in Gilbert Arizona, the school is in its third year of esports and participates in local Smash Brothers leagues as well as the Play VS league, offering both varsity and junior varsity teams. Beck-White had coached the team since its inception and has seen the program grow. Currently, a total of 35 students have joined the esports program and 24 are actively participating in the current season. Smash Brothers is the most popular game among the students, with League of Legends a close second.
Beck-White noted that there are a number of key players across the three game titles that the program competes in. League of Legends team captain, Ally, as well as Smash Brothers varsity players Isaac, Omar, and Mateo have helped lead the program. Speaking about the opportunities in esports beyond high school, Ally has expressed interest in playing at the collegiate level for Arizona State University. Gilbert’s esports program has seen recent growth, particularly among female players.
With matches beginning next week, players are preparing for upcoming competitions. A few schools that the team is sure to compete against including Brophy, Willow Canyon, Camelback, Benjamin Franklin, and Desert Ridge. A unique opportunity exists for esports players at Gilbert High School though. Students host their own smash tournament at the school each year, as well as run the stream, create the bracket, and sell tickets. This allows them to gain valuable experience and prepares them for a career in the esports industry.
For more information about high school esports programs, follow Stay Plugged In on social media. Plus, follow along with Gilbert High School’s program on Twitter.