State championship atmosphere a sign of eSports’ bright future in Colorado

Champions were crowned during the eSports high school state championships on Friday at Localhost in Lakewood.

Grandview claimed the League of Legends title and Rocky Mountain won the Rocket League championship. It was not only an excellent day for the teams competing but the event itself and the energy surrounding it provided a glimpse into just how rapidly esports is growing and what the future might look like at the high school level once the activity officially becomes sanctioned by the Colorado High School Activities Association next year.

That future is bright.

“Overall, it’s a great milestone for us to be able to recognize all these kids who spend hours working on this and really trying to show off something that they love to do is just a great moment,” CHSAA eSports committee chair Shawn Collins said. “You watch the kids come in here in the building and be awed by what’s going to take place today and seeing them get to compete against each other face-to-face is pretty amazing stuff.

“To get eSports to the CHSAA level has taken a lot of hard work by a lot of people. It’s also just been about opening the doors. You open the doors and the kids will come in and participate. They just needed someone, some place, to be able to recognize all the work they’ve been putting in and give them that one place to compete.”

Already with over 200 teams and as eSports rapidly becomes more pervasive at the high school level nationally, the scene at events like Friday’s championships is beginning to change.

At Localhost, the largest in-person gaming facility in Colorado, players from teams at other schools came to watch and cheer for the final four teams as their competition was displayed on a big screen with live commentators and instant replay. College teams from several in-state schools were in attendance and set up tables to watch the action and chat with players about their teams.

A process close to eight years in the making, eSports will complete its third pilot season in the spring and then it will become an official CHSAA activity in 2022.

“The future of eSports in Colorado is very bright. While the teams that played tonight are representing their schools, it’s not a far reach to see how they are representing the future of the sport,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Rashaan Davis, who oversees activities. “I want to thank our final teams in both League of Legends (Castle View and Grandview) and Rocket League (Fort Collins and Rocky Mountain) for their outstanding performances. To make it through some of the toughest competition in our state and come out as the last teams standing says a great deal about their teamwork and coaching. It should also serve to showcase the benefits of education-based participation.”

“I am looking forward to the spring season of eSports and the bright future of this activity.”

With plans to add more titles like Super Smash Bros and with teams popping up at schools all over the state, there’s little reason to think that eSports won’t continue to grow as rapidly in the coming years as it has throughout the past several on its way to becoming sanctioned.

“One day, I think we’re going to rival just about any other activity or sport that’s out there as far as attendance and population,” Collins said. “eSports as a whole is growing faster than any other sport there is.”