eSports team qualifies for Nationals through Electronic Gaming Federation

A new student organization at A.W. Beattie isn’t just giving students opportunities to connect with peers from outside of their program in a fun, safe gaming environment – it’s giving students an opportunity to compete on a much larger stage.

A.W. Beattie students in the eSports student organization have qualified for national competition in Orlando, Florida through the Electronic Gaming Federation.

Games like Super Smash Bros., Rocket League and Overwatch are giving students the chance to meet new friends from different programs at the Career Center while also developing skills like reflexes, teamwork, accuracy, strategic planning and appropriate digital citizenship.

The launch of eSports has been successful, according to eSports co-advisor Mr. Andrew Dumbeck who also is an Advertising Design instructor. The growing popularity of eSports has resulted in scholarship opportunities, cash prizes, career opportunities, and audiences rivaling some more traditional sporting events.

Those are just a few of the benefits for members of eSports.

“This is a really up-and-coming school activity that a lot of schools are getting involved in,” Mr. Dumbeck said. “We want to be with other schools if not ahead of the curve. There are a lot of schools interested in this because of the scholarship opportunities and college teams recruiting students. The gaming industry is a multimillion industry and it’s only continuing to grow. There are opportunities beyond gaming with things like broadcasting, streaming, online entertainment, and promoting events, and this introduces them to those opportunities.”

The A.W. Beattie eSports club has more than 20 members.

“It’s been so much fun, especially because I’m getting to meet other people from around Beattie that I would never have known,” North Hills Class of 2024 senior Noah Casella said. “Some are in Veterinary (Sciences) and another is in Sports Medicine. Now I talk to them weekly. It’s really enjoyable and easy to do. It’s very relaxed, and there’s been a lot of team building.”

Noah plays Rocket League on a team, which qualified for Nationals. North Allegheny’s Andrew Adair and Jack Wilcox and Avonworth’s Isaac Jordan are also on the Rocket League team.

“It’s really cool to do so well together,” Noah said. “One kid on the team had never touched the game before, but we’ve all coached each other in different ways. It’s been really fun.”

Mr. Dumbeck grew up with the rise of online gaming and wants to share the positive impact gaming can have with students.

“It’s really important to influence students to be genuinely good people in everything they do, including in gaming,” Mr. Dumbeck said. “We’re always going to represent ourselves with integrity and good sportsmanship, which we want them to do outside of eSports as well.”