It’s a twist many probably couldn’t have imagined 20 years ago, but electronic sports is a thing and it’s getting bigger every year.
Now, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is jumping on board to help its growth.
The IHSA will hold its first-ever Esports state series in April 2022 with the inaugural state tournament featuring three titles: NBA2K, Rocket League and Super Smash Brothers.
“It is exciting any time that we can expand the IHSA mission by offering another opportunity for students to represent their schools in competition,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said. “We appreciate the time and effort put forth by our staff and the committee members who helped get us to this point.”
Esports becomes the 10th activity offered by the IHSA, joining bass fishing, chess, debate, drama & group interpretation, speech/individual events, journalism, music and scholastic bowl. There is also wheelchair basketball. The addition of Esports brings the IHSA’s total state series offerings to 41 total sports and activities.
“Not unlike when the IHSA added bass fishing, some may question how Esports fits into the IHSA’s offerings, but we never wavered in our belief that we want to align the association with the interests of our high school students,” Anderson said. “Research shows that there are educational, mental and social benefits to having students compete for their high school in any activity or sport, so we look forward to Illinois high school students who are passionate about esports being able to enjoy those benefits.”
The IHSA’s esports state series will be held during weeks 42 and 43 of the standardized IHSA calendar (April 17-April 30, 2022). The IHSA staff will begin the process of finding a state final host venue immediately and bring a recommendation to the board later this year.
When Esports became an emerging activity a few years ago, a handful of Journal-area teams were among the first 33 programs in the state: Maine West, Elk Grove, Conant, Stevenson, Prospect, Niles Notre Dame and Loyola Academy.
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