In the new generation of today’s modern times, video games have established themselves as a central piece of teenagers’ cultural landscape. Each day, digital entertainment is grown through watching professional athletes play sports, but now video games are becoming part of that same level. The newly founded club at FHC takes a step into the screens of esports.
Adviser Christopher Start has plans for the group.
“It’s mainly people playing video games competitively,” Start said. “We hope to start playing different schools all across the area.”
Video games are a vast and diverse space on the internet. Games range in a variety of ways, whether that be first-person shooters, sports games, platformers, or adventure. Little can be played competitively. Christopher Start plans on having multiple games played competitively.
“Right now, the big one we are focusing on is Super Smash Bros Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch,” Start said. “We plan on bringing Rocket League into the mix, which is a soccer game played with cars.”
A lot like other clubs at FHC, identity is a key thing. Clubs want to push to complete achievement, which they inspire to do. This can mean anywhere from a sense of belonging for students all the way to personal and group benchmarks for everyone. Start has an idea what the big goals for the club moving forward.
“We are still a new club, so we don’t exactly know currently,” Start said. “The main thing is just that we want people and students to have fun.”
Being the goal of Start, having fun is embodied through the club and is acknowledged by other members. Gamer Henry Wierenga likes the world of video games and is ecstatic by the club’s creation.
“I really like playing games and competing against others,” Wierenga said. “I’ve been playing games like these for a while, and I simply just have fun.”
With many students involved with athletics, esports seems to have a significant lack of participation in which gamers involved with the club hope to make an incline. Wierenga has an idea in mind of how many people need to join.
“We want to have at least twenty people involved within the club, which may be a stretch,” Wierenga said. “We would settle for at least ten.”
The future of the club hangs up in the balance, as many pressing questions are up in the air for FHC esports for which the continuation of the club may come to an end. This is primarily due to the lack of participation of other students within the school. Henry talks about his concerns about the continuation of the club.
“We don’t know exactly how long the club will be around,” Wierenga said. “It possibly could end due to not having enough participation.”
