LAKEWOOD – The second sanctioned Colorado High School Activities Association spring esports state championships hosted a special guest at Localhost on Thursday.
Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado and lifelong gamer, made an appearance during the early rounds of the tournament, which featured Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart.
"I want to be among the many to thank Governor Polis for supporting today’s event and the Colorado esports community," said CHSAA Assistant Commissioner Rashaan Davis, who oversees oversees esports and all CHSAA activities. "I also want to thank PlayVS, our esports partner, for their continued efforts in making esports accessible to Colorado students by making team play on their platform completely free of charge."
With PlayVS, Nintendo, fans and esports teams across the state in attendance, the Governor took in some of the action, met a number of the competitors and coaches, took some photos and spoke to those in attendance of the culminating event for a sport he is personally passionate about growing in Colorado.
“It’s great to see how gaming is bringing people together and building community, fostering passions and helping prepare people for success,” said Polis, who also led the crowd in a round of applause for all of Colorado’s athletic directors and coaches. “We know that the skills you get gaming are very highly transferable in life, just as they are in many sports, of course. Leadership, collaboration, but also problem-solving, critical thinking, all of those you use in gaming.
“Whatever you do in life, those will be skills you take with you.”
CHSAA commissioner Michael Krueger said Polis’ presence at the state championships made Thursday an even prouder and momentous point in the Association’s mission to champion esports at the high school level.
“Your support means the world to us as we strive to elevate our esports within our high school communities,” Krueger said. “It is truly an honor to be here with all of you today as we celebrate and recognize so many talented esports participants, but to also celebrate and recognize the phenomenal growth of esports within our Colorado high schools.”
High school esports became an official CHSAA-sanctioned activity in the fall of 2022 and has experienced a combined 67-percent growth over the last three years. A total of 143 schools now participate in CHSAA esports, which amounts to close to 40 percent of CHSAA member schools.
“This isn’t just a number,” Krueger said. “It’s a reflection of the dedication and passion of our students and our educators alike. This trajectory is nothing short of inspiring. It is a clear indicator of the vibrant community that we are fostering and the boundless opportunities that esports offers our students.”
Davis, who has been involved with esports since it became a sanctioned activity, was once again inspired by the immense growth that was on display at Localhost on Thursday.
“When I look at where we started with esports, even three years ago, we have come a long way,” Davis said. ”From in-person league matches in many of our districts, to our annual coaches conference, to the number of teams we have added each season, Colorado esports is only going to get better. When the Governor of Colorado makes an appearance at the CHSAA esports championship, it only adds value to the message of what education-based activity participation is all about.
"As we look at the future of esports, my goals include adding a Unified division, adding multiple classifications for our more popular titles, growing our relationships with PlayVS and Special Olympics Colorado, and growing participation in titles like Madden, NBA2K, and FC."