TAPPS high schools will be latest to join esports league after partnership with PlayVS
There will be a new group of esports athletes as the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools announced its partnership with PlayVS, the premier high school esports provider.
This opportunity reaches students who may otherwise have no outlet for their passions in traditional sports or extracurricular activities. The current wait list to build an interscholastic esports program with PlayVS is over 16,000 schools long and spans across all 50 states.
“TAPPS is excited to partner with PlayVS to bring esports to our member schools” said Executive Director Bryan Bunselmeyer. “Esports is a growing opportunity for students in our member schools. It is available for those who may not be interested in our current offerings as well as those who engage in sports and other school activities regularly. We believe strongly engagement in extracurricular activities provides opportunities for student success.”
During the first two seasons of PlayVS, esports teams nationwide had an average of 15 players per program with more than one in three players participating in their first-ever school activity.
More than 70% of the students who participated said they found a community to connect with and more than 40% plan on using their esports experience to apply for colleges and universities.
Among one of the first programs in the state came from the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District.
After winning the inaugural state championship in December, the Colleyville Heritage High School made it a clean sweep during the 2019-20 school year with a second state title in May.
The Panthers made it back-to-back titles in the League of Legends with a 2-1 win over Allen.
Garland Naaman Forest won the Rocket League championship. Grapevine won Rocket League in December.
Esports in GCISD was established in 2018 with over 75 students competing in the first year. Over 160 students, including 135 players, were in the program this year.
Arlington is home to Esports Stadium, which is adjacent to Globe Life Park.
“Esports provide a new opportunity for students to become engaged in their school community doing something they love,” said Dr. Clint Kennedy, Director of Education & Acquisition at PlayVS. “It opens the door to scholarships, local and state recognition, and newfound connections between students. We are excited to work directly with TAPPS teachers and schools to build out their esports programs starting this fall.”
The cost to participate per season is $64 for each player or less when schools activate a larger team and it provides students with a full suite of unlocked, in-game content (valued at over $700) and access to the full games themselves (each valued at $20-$60).
Most schools already have the required computer equipment in existing labs or libraries, making esports a simple, low-cost/high-benefit program to get off the ground.
Schools can register their teams for this upcoming fall season by signing up at PlayVS.com.
For more information on PlayVS, please visit https://www.playvs.com/
