Christian Davis is known for his speed. Whether it be on the football field or the track, where he has set Brookfield High School records, Christian is simply fast.
Yet, whereas football and track rely on the legs, Christian’s fingers move pretty quickly, too.
Sitting in front of a computer in the school library, his Fortnite avatar on the screen in front of him, Christian’s left-hand fingers are a blur as he manipulates the keys to make his avatar move as he wants, while his right hand works the computer mouse.
Sure, he could use an Xbox controller for Fortnite, but he feels he has more speed and ease of use by working the keys and a mouse, he said. It took a while to master this technique, but muscle memory kicks in, he said.
Christian is one of 17 members of the Brookfield High School esports team. The team plays Fortnite, Rocket League and Valorant competitively against other schools, and even has a playoff tournament to look forward to at the end of the 10-week season.
Ta’-Hari Wester, foreground, and Christian Davis are members of the Brookfield High School esports team. Club advisers, back left, are Josy Kirila Chu and Tim Reinsel.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association, the state’s sanctioning body for traditional sports such as football, basketball and volleyball, has endorsed Esports Ohio, a nonprofit organization created by teachers for students, to provide the postseason tournament.
Although Brookfield school officials quickly threw their support behind the esports effort, many in the community did not. A previous NEWS On the Green Story about the startup of the program elicited a heated set of comments on social media from anti-gamers that included one woman calling computers, technology and smartphones the downfall of society.
Esports team member Jaxson Cookson, a sophomore and a football player, has heard the criticism of video games but doesn’t pay much attention to it.
“You should be able to do what you want and what you love,” he said. “You should be able to express how you feel about what you want to do. Do what you want to do. Don’t be afraid to do what you love.”
Even among students there’s a negative stigma associated with video games, and that has impacted the number of students who came out for the team, Jaxson said.
“A lot of people don’t do this because they’re scared of being made fun of for doing something they like,” he said. “It’s nice to show people you can do what you want to do.”
Sophomore Henry Flores’ response to the critics: “I don’t listen to them.”
“You don’t play, so that’s fine,” said junior Kyle Kupp, who also likes to draw and work with clay.
Just don’t interfere with what he wants to do, he said.
“It’s a fun thing,” Kyle said.
Tim Reinsel grew up playing video games with his friends, but managed to pry himself away from them long enough to get an education degree, and now teaches some of the most challenging classes offered by the school, including chemistry and physics. When the school was looking for advisers for the esports team, he jumped at the chance, he said.
“It was something different for them (students) to do,” said Reinsel, who works with co-adviser Josy Kirila Chu.
Esports team member Henry Flores plays the video game Fortnite.
After only a few weeks with the esports team, Reinsel said he has noticed how well the students communicate with each other while they are playing.
“When they’re playing Valorant, they’re on a map and they’re talking to each other and their communication skills back and forth, I was very impressed with that because it’s not kids I see as being big communicators in class,” Reinsel said.
“I gotta find a way to make them talk like this in class,” he added. “Just a few phrases, they instantly know what they’re taking about. That comes with familiarity, but it also is something they like to do.”
Supt. Toby Gibson said he wants to provide an outlet for every student interest. Giving a student something to do outside of the ABCs can render an academic benefit, he said.
“We have kids (in esports) who are frequent fliers as far as tardies and absences,” Gibson said. “7:30, they’re walking by you in the morning. It’s making an impact on our students. That’s the goal.”
There are minimum academic standards to play esports, the same as with athletics, Reinsel said.
“Overall, grades are the most important thing, but, if we can find an alternative reason for them to be here, they want to be here, then, that’s what we need,” Reinsel said.
Jaxson, who likes to play Fortnite, Call of Duty and Madden, said video games help him clear his mind and focus.
Henry, who also likes to ride dirt bikes and play soccer, said you have to be creative to be successful at video games.
“You’re building your way to survive the game,” Kyle said of the structures built in Fortnite.
The computers the students are using were bought for other purposes using grant funds. Some students are bringing their own controllers and gaming chairs into school, and Reinsel said he would like to hold fundraisers so he can buy controllers. Kyle said he is using his sister’s “fidgety” controller because his isn’t compatible with the district’s computers.
District Treasurer Jordan Weber said the esports team is not taking funds away from textbooks or teachers. Reinsel and Chu are paid $1,040 each as advisers.
“$2,080 for the time that Tim and Josy are putting into it is a drop in the bucket,” Weber said. “We spend $40,000 a month for utilities. This is nothing.”
