Gaming? Learning? Why not both?
In 2023, Neighborhood News Reporter Melissa Trevino introduced South Texas to a group of Coyotes who started the e-sports program at Alice Independent School District. Now, they are champions with three state titles and one national championship.
E-Sports - simply put - is electronic gaming where students compete with other schools online.
Alice ISD student Jason Santos is one of the captains for the William Adams Middle School Fortnight team.
When he talks about E-Sports, he said it’s wonderful.
"A place of wonders. You can take the games you played in your childhood such as fortnight, apex, valor. And make it into a challenge,” Santos said. “That we can go out and have a lot of fun. And playing the games that I grew up playing. And I can learn more about strategizing and teamwork.”
The eighth grader joined his friends on the gaming console two years ago.
He said these programs aren’t just about skill.
"It takes commitment, teamwork and making sure you're on the right path to go to state. And it takes keeping up your grades,” Santos said. “Takes a lot of communication. It takes good friendship and it takes a lot of sticking together. So, we can be one team.”
He said he’s a natural-born leader. Something that comes in handy when helping teammates.
In 2023, Joe Owen Griggs was one of the students on the pilot program. Telling KRIS 6 News, “for me - like it exercises my mind and my fingers. And I mostly like it cause I'm quiet all the time and more focused."
Now, he said,” “E-Sports - everything's changed."
E-Sports still exercises his mind and times his motor skills, but it also about teamwork.
"Without teamwork - we're messy. It's best when we're a team and we can go against the other team together and if someone is hurt they're nearby us. And we're able to help them,” Griggs said.
A new aspect of the changes, according to Griggs. “Now we have to do zearn or prodigy," he told KRIS 6 News.
Sean Ramirez is one of the newest E-Sports athletes.
"I always had a passion for playing games. And it was a fun thing to do afterschool,” the eighth grader said. “I’ve always been very interested in pursuing video games.”
He’s looking forward to what he believes he’ll take from his passion.
"Probably leadership, communication and advice,” Ramirez said.
The E-Sports sponsor said the biggest things these athletes learn is actually discipline.
“One of the biggest things they learn is discipline. Especially with the e-sports program is discipline. It’s discipline to show up everyday. Anything in life - if you want to win state it takes discipline. And I feel like that’s the number one thing,” E-Sports sponsor Treston Dimas Trujillo said.
He said more teenagers are becoming interested in the relatively new sport because they learn better through electronics and video games and stuff along those lines.”
These boys say there’s no telling what the future of E-Sports will be. But for them, growth and confidence are all attributed to this program.
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