To think that eSports has only been in FCPS for less than five years can be surprising to many. They either often forget that it’s a thing or are surprised by the fact that it’s still pretty new. Even so, Falls Church HS already has an eSports team that is active and participating in tournaments against other schools.
FCPS launched their eSports program around 2021 and Bill Curran, director of FCPS Athletics and Activities stated in an article, published by The Tysons Reporter on July 21 of 2021 that “[he] thinks it’s gonna be a great opportunity for our students.” He continued by saying that “[he] thinks that we’re going to have 25 highly competitive schools in the eSports realm.”
The effects of the pandemic forced students into virtual learning, and competitive online gaming became relatively popular and eventually reached our school last spring, forming varsity and JV teams for the eSports games played during tournaments.
“eSports began during spring ‘23 with one game, Rocket League, and during the spring ‘24 season expanded to also include Super Smash Bros. More games are on the horizon and FC will play as many as FCHS/VHSL approves,” Falls Church eSport team coach Liam Ryde said.
The team is active and has made its own achievements as well. Just like any other sport we know eSports also has playoffs and tournaments. Their opponents are all schools in VHSL, ranging from schools near us to schools in southern Virginia.
“For Rocket League, our Varsity and JV teams came in 46th (3-5) and 47th (3-5) place respectively. For Super Smash Bros, our Varsity and JV teams came in 18th (6-2) and 83rd (4-4) place respectively. The varsity Super Smash team made it to the playoffs,” Ryde said.
Concerns about eSports being a legitimate sport is a topic that is debated given the differences between eSports and a physical sport. Many don’t view eSports as a real sport simply because of the trait of it being virtual and not physical.
“I personally do not consider eSports a legitimate sport. Although both can promote teamwork, communication skills and problem solving, playing a sport in real life is much different then a virtual game,” said Thomas Nguyen (10). “Sports traditionally involve physical activity such as running and jumping, while eSports are digital, focusing on hand-eye coordination and mental sharpness.”
Others think that eSports is considered a sport because it has similar fundamentals as one. It isn’t played on a field but going up against an opposing team with skills needed for a physical sport is absolutely necessary which can contribute to why it could be viewed as a sport.
“I would consider it a sport. It has the same fundamentals as a sport, players have to come in with a base level of skill, then they have to hone that in with practice and build team cohesiveness, and eventually they compete against other schools. While it isn’t played on a field, there’s the same level of communication, sportsmanship, and strategy needed for success,” Ryde said.
Despite the concern of eSports legitimacy, the benefits of eSports are still identical to any other sport or club at Falls Church.
“Much like any other sport or club, having an esports team has created another space for students to have fun and work with their peers towards a goal” Ryde said.
