At Park’s esports club, kids can come in after school every Thursday to relax, play video games or participate in fun competitions with others in games like Super Smash Bros. The esports club is open to anyone who wants to play, not just those who want to be part of the esports team. Many agree it is a total blast and a great way to bond with others who enjoy video games.
According to the advisor of the esports club, Carl Sorenson, the purpose of the club is to give kids the opportunity to compete with one another and provide a relaxed gaming club. He also said that having weekly access to the lab for kids has helped create a more inclusive space.
“Our esports club is about both wanting to play games and have fun with them, and being more competitive if you decide,” Sorenson said. “I’ve tried to expand this club into being both esports and a quote-unquote gaming club because I don’t want it to make people feel like they have to be competitive to come and enjoy playing some games. So, we’ve started introducing just weekly open labs on Thursdays from 3:15 to about 4:30.”
Senior Alexander Castro said overall, the point of esports club is to have fun and play video games with each other. He also said he enjoys it when they get more into the competitive aspects and play against one another in games like Super Smash Bros.
“We just play games and have fun,” Castro said. “Lots of times we play some Smash. Personally, I like playing competitive games and then just fighting against each other.”
Sorenson said for people who want to take their gaming to the next step and get into the competitive esports aspect, there is an esports league named Minnesota Varsity League. He also said the Minnesota Varsity League is how the Park esports team enters competitions.
“If you are feeling competitive, there is an esports league called MNVL (Minnesota Varsity League) that hosts all the competitions,” Sorenson said. “That’s usually how we get in with any sort of competition. We don’t run our own (competitions), but we could in the future.”
Senior Yuri Wanderley said he likes being a part of the esports club because the computer lab gives him access to high-quality equipment and better games, which he doesn’t have at home.
“I like (esports club) because we have great equipment,” Wanderley said. “The computers here are definitely better than the one I have at home, so I’ll typically be playing with the higher-end games here that I can’t play at home.”
Sorenson said his favorite part of being the esports club coach is seeing new members and their passion. He said it is a rewarding experience to be able to engage with kids and find things they are excited about.
“My favorite part is seeing lots of new faces and a lot of enthusiasm,” Sorenson said. “I know for a lot of people, myself included, finding kids where they’re at, and being able to engage with them and find what they’re enthusiastic about can be such a rewarding thing. I’m not a teacher (at Park), but I imagine that’s what being a teacher is like when you find a student who has a particular drive for a certain subject.
According to Wanderley, people should join the club if they want to have an enjoyable time. He also said although the esports club has a large Smash Bros community, people can play anything they want by signing their gaming accounts onto the lab’s computers.
“People should join the club, certainly if they like having fun,” Wanderley said. “There’s a pretty large Super Smash Bros community in our esports club. Even if Super Smash Bros isn’t your thing, if you have a Steam account, Epic Games or anything really, you can sign into the computers and then just play what you want.”
Castro said he enjoys his time in esports club and thinks others should join as well if they want to have fun and play video games. He also said the environment is really relaxed.
“When I have (esports club), I enjoy it. If you want to have a fun time, sometimes just play some Smash or play other games, you should join it for sure. It’s a pretty chill environment and overall a pretty good time,” Castro said.
According to Sorenson, the esports club is a great way for kids who already like playing video games to make new connections with others who like video games.
“If you are someone who already plays games on your own at home, this is a great way to connect with people who maybe are enthusiastic about the same games that you are,” Sorenson said. “Even if you aren’t necessarily big into competitive games, you both may have an affinity for Shovel Knight, the Hollow Knights or plenty of other video games that might be one player that you could bond over.”
