For the first time in its history, Triton High School has introduced an official esports team, bringing competitive gaming into the school’s extracurricular lineup. The club is off to a strong start, with students competing in various online gaming tournaments, including Rocket League.
Esports, a rapidly growing industry, has made its way into high schools across the country, providing students with opportunities to engage in teamwork, competition, and strategy—just like traditional sports. At Triton, the new program has sparked excitement among students, including junior Michael Coco, a member of the Rocket League team.
“It’s a great experience, the team is so welcoming,” Coco said. “It’s great to be playing with friends and representing the school in a way that hasn’t been possible before.”
Aidan Cashman, who is overseeing the esports program, expressed optimism about the team’s performance and growth. “I find that our team is doing great in terms of competition,” Cashman shared. “We are winning in many aspects. The main goal is for students to have fun playing, but winning games is definitely a nice bonus.”
However, as with any new initiative, the program has faced challenges. Cashman pointed out that timing has been a major hurdle. “The biggest challenge is getting people to play their games on time. In some cases, this is due to student schedules, but mostly it’s just part of adjusting to a new system. It’s all growing pains, and with time, we can figure it out.”
As it is the first year of the club, these sorts of challenges are expected. This year is the ‘trial’ run to iron out all of the mistakes. It is better that the team encounters these challenges early so that they can get rid of them for future years.
Beyond the logistics, launching an esports program has required effort in securing funding, technology, and understanding the varying rules for each game. “Every new club is hard to start up,” Cashman admitted. “Raising money and figuring out technology and rule sets for different games is challenging, but I enjoy working with my fellow students. If we run into an issue, it’s easy to contact them, and they hear me out.”
Despite these challenges, enthusiasm for the esports team remains high. Cashman hopes students recognize the value in esports beyond just playing video games. “Esports is a fun activity where students can enjoy video games as part of their school experience. It’s a great way to hang out with friends, and for those who are competitive, it provides an opportunity to play games at a high level.”
With the foundation now set, the Triton High School esports team is poised for growth. As more students join and the program continues to develop, the future of esports at Triton looks bright.
For students interested in joining, Cashman encourages them to reach out and give it a try.
“After this year, it will only get easier. We are building something great, and I hope more students see the potential of esports at Triton,” said Cashman.
