A New Way to Compete

There are currently 250 schools that have teams affiliated with Esports Ohio. The Esports Ohio state tournament is scheduled for May 20 and 21 at the University of Akron. The trophies will be the same style as what the OHSAA uses for its 28sanctioned sports.

Esports, the competitive video gaming world, is experiencing tremendous growth in Ohio. One of the most recent developments is the partnership between the Ohio High School Athletic Association and Esports Ohio, a collaboration aimed at expanding the popularity of Esports within high school athletic programs.

In Trumbull County, the Bloomfield-Mespo Esports program has excelled. Last year the team known as “AllOne” took home the state championship competing in the game Clash Royal and finishing second in the state, competing in Valorant. However, according to the team, these victories have meant much more than a trophy will ever represent.

"I have a record in basketball that is 2-70. I will remember those two wins forever, but in Esports, we have only lost four games, which gave me the feeling of what it's like to win."

- Bloomfield senior, Ben Sly

The district houses a total of 94 students in the building. The Esports program, which includes middle school and high school students, has 22 on the roster, or over twenty percent of enrolled students. Those in the program say that Esports has finally allowed them an even playing field against some of the largest districts in the state.

“Before this, I didn’t participate in a lot of the school activities, I wasn't into sports here, and none of the clubs interested me, so doing this has connected me with others in our school and helped me come out of my shell and learn to express myself," said Bloomfield senior Sam Covey.