Growth of high school esports in Colorado on display as spring season begins

The spring 2022 esports season kicked off last Tuesday and the Colorado High School Activities Association is thrilled to have over 100 teams competing in the upcoming campaign.

Comparing the current participation numbers to what they were a year ago, it’s quite clear that esports at the high school level in Colorado continues to grow at an impressive rate.

In spring of 2021, there were 73 teams. Now there are 101 teams playing in the spring of 2022. On top of that 38-percent growth in participation, the retention rate of teams that played in the fall and are still playing in the spring is over 90 percent despite changing the titles being played.

“The future of esports in Colorado is bright,” said Rashaan Davis, CHSAA assistant commissioner who oversees esports. “We continue to talk with school district leaders and building administrators across the state to help them implement esports in their schools. My short-term goal is to have esports teams in over half of Colorado’s high schools, with the long-term goal being to have every high school fielding an esports team.

“I know that sounds optimistic. But the growth of this activity at the state and national level, the different titles offered, and the fact that this is an activity for just about every student on campus speaks to where I see this activity going.”

Colorado had 104 high school teams playing Rocket League last fall, and over 90 teams played either League of Legends or Super Smash Bros. Growth in participation for League of Legends is up 18 percent from fall to spring and participation in Super Smash Bros. is up 119 percent in that same span.

CHSAA will also have another in-person championship in April, and is planning on offering coaches clinics in the fall of 2022.