PlayVS: Special InFocus Report - 6

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
FOSTERING
AN INCLUSIVE
TEAM CULTURE
How esports programs engage
students and enhance skills
Opening up a world of opportunities for students,
esports programs keep students engaged in
school while sharpening their critical thinking
skills, communication, character development, and
more. Esports encourages students who may be
uninterested in other sports or activities to form
social bonds and find community while pursuing
activities they are passionate about.
In esports, players must employ significant critical
thinking, collaboration, and creativity to maintain
success. It extends beyond traditional sports,
fostering an inclusive environment that breaks
barriers, according to PlayVS. Teams can be co-ed,
and physical ailments that may bar students from
participating in other sports are not a barrier to
competing in esports.
Kyle Magoffin, Athletic Director at Ralph Mahar
Regional High School in Orange, Massachusetts,
founded and ran the school's esports team in
2018. Magoffin was an early advocate for esports
due to its ability to teach and develop the same
skills as traditional sports and reach more
students on campus.
According to Magoffin, a hurdle to implementing
esports in his school was ending the stigma that
esports is " just kids playing video games. " All it took
was watching one practice for the school board
to implement funding and support the program
they have today. Once the esports program was
established, students from other sports, such as
basketball and football, got excited - catering to
more student interests.
6 | PlayVS Esports InFocus
" The fact that other sports teams realized that the
esports team was just the same as them helped
create that cohesive environment. There's more to it
than just playing video games, " Magoffin said.
Helping to bring legitimacy to the sport in the
state, the Massachusetts School Administrators
Association (MSAA) officially adopted esports
in 2018 through the esports platform PlayVS.
Maggofin's program was one of the first to enroll
and to work on getting to the state finals.
Magoffin's Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate team
recently made the state semifinals and competed at
Helix Patriot Place in Foxborough, Massachusetts,
right next to Gillette Stadium.
" Esports is a way to get kids back into the school
environment. How many times do we say, 'Athletics
is what keeps kids in school.' This is the same
thing, " Magoffin said. " Continuing to grow the
program and get them interested in esports,
offering different games through different gaming
platforms is crucial. Growth is the main success for
our esports program and to include more kids in a
population that could use it. "
Magoffin's esports team is called The Disruptors -
when asking students how they feel about
themselves, one responded, " We need to disrupt
how things work around here. "
" The Disruptors is what the kids ended up picking
as their name. Not only to 'disrupt' the current
status quo of what was going on in high school but
that they wanted to disrupt that it's not the same
PlayVS: Special InFocus Report

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