COLUMBIA — Now is just the beginning for competitive video games, according to Rock Bridge High School esports head coach Matt Pryor.
“What really matters is only the results we’re getting from the students and how it’s positively impacting their lives,” Pryor said.
Braeden Jenkins, a sophomore at Rock Bridge, says participating in his high school’s Rocket League team has already changed his high school experience.
“In a weird sense, COVID-19 was one of the best things to ever happen for esports,” Jenkins said. “It pushed a lot of people who wouldn’t normally play into exploring the genre, and it grew our community really fast.”
The Rock Bridge High School Rocket League team is among the most successful in Missouri. Next weekend, two teams from Rock Bridge will compete in an elite 8 single elimination tournament to claim their status as champions in the state.
The event is organized by the Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation, and is among the first in-person esports events in Missouri since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Pryor.
“It’s making my high school experience a lot better,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins has his eye on the upcoming tournament’s first place prize: $3,000, which he said could provide a lab for the school’s esports team or team jerseys.
Information about next weekend’s state championship can be found here.
