COVID-19 concerns have delayed or canceled many sports, however e-sports, new to Smithson Valley this year, has managed to flourish.

E-sports, or electronic sports, is a new competitive sport where players compete in the virtual world, instead of on a field or court. The team will compete in popular games like Rocket League, SMITE and League of Legends. 

Coach Kevin Palmer is the sponsor and coach of this new esports team/club. The sport is still unrecognized by the UIL, but will likely be integrated within a few years.

A big reason esports can grow unimpeded is that there is no physical contact between teams. This also means that teams don’t have to travel.

“The cool thing about this sport is we won’t have to travel at all,” Palmer said. “We will play schools from around the state, and we will be doing that from one of the computer labs on campus.”

Palmer has big goals for the team, with his main focus being on the state championship.

“We could go in, and win a state title, and be the only program that went in their first year and actually won the championship,” Palmer said.

Other students, like senior Clara Conner, have different goals. 

“I wanna have fun, and maybe meet some new friends that I can play video games with”, Conner said. 

Students new to the gaming community want to see what this new club has to offer, and it may just be a fun pastime to do after school.

“E-sports is growing and I thought, hey this would be fun to do, I mean I might make new friends and it looked like something to look into,” senior Noah Backlund said. 

Though many would not consider competitive video gaming a sport, college scholarships and careers are potential opportunities for professional gamers to take advantage of. The E-sports club offers students a chance to display their gaming skills in a competitive environment.