SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Seating at a computer and playing video games is not your typical after-school practice for athletes, but at Central High School, they have e-sports athletes that do exactly that every day of the season.
The season coincides with basketball and wrestling season, and the Aberdeen Central High School team just finished their season at the E-Sport state finals in Brookings.
E-Sports in high schools is somewhat common in Europe, and it is gaining a foothold in South Dakota with the first state finals being held on the campus of South Dakota State University.
Emerging from that competition was a State champion. Grey Hauge took the chess title, and he explains how E-Sports chess works.
“During the season when we just played each other for rankings and to see who, like what rank we are, we play online. And then for the tournament for chess, it was in person on a real board,” said Grey of the experience.
Be aware that this tenth grader has plans for the future.
“I’m probably gonna see how far I can go and I’m looking to win another one in a row, that would be pretty awesome,” said Grey with a smile.
It appears that could actually happen, according to E-Sports head coach Andre Cobbs.
Coach Cobbs said, “I have noticed the work ethic that he has, and I think his work ethic, and like he said, he really enjoys it. I think his work ethic is really strong, and so it was nice to see that growth as he was playing chess.”
Admittedly, this story is about the success of state chess champion, Grey Haugh, but it is also a story about 18 other students who are sometimes overlooked at school.
“But a lot of the kids in E-Sports don’t play physical athletics, and they’ve never been recognized for anything that they’ve done,” Cobbs explained. “So just them getting to go to a state tournament, getting to leave class early, cuz they have a game, something like that, and put a shirt on and show the rest of the school that they’re involved. I really think that we’ve missed a little bit of that aspect with those children, that they don’t get recognized for what they do. And, like Christmas, you should see the smile on their faces when they get recognized simply for doing what they love.”
It was a very successful season, season number one, by the way, for the E-Sports team from Aberdeen Central High School.
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