4 SUMMER 2025 RICHARDTON HIGH SCHOOL LAUNCHED SUCCESSFUL ESPORTS PROGRAM Richardton High School began its esports program in fall 2024, and it was a great success! Consolidated was proud to support their efforts with a $2,000 contribution to help them get started on this exciting new journey. A total of 13 students participated in the inaugural esports season, competing in games such as Minecraft, Valorant, Fortnite, and Chess. The season ran from January 13 to March 7 and was filled with fun, teamwork, and fierce competition. Several teams came close to qualifying for the state tournament—a promising start for a brand-new program. JacksonWilkes competed in the state tournament for Chess in Grand Forks on March 28-29. We’re thrilled to see the growing interest in esports and proud to partner with local schools as they create new opportunities for students to compete, connect, and thrive. Congratulations, Richardton High School! THROUGH ESPORTS, STUDENTS GAIN TEAM EXPERIENCE AND OTHER SKILLS Not every student is cut out for traditional sports that demand physical strength and skills. An alternative is esports (or electronic sports), where reflexes, strategy, and digital prowess reign supreme. A growing number of schools now offer esports, particularly for grades 6 to 12, and it’s a sought-after extracurricular activity. Players compete against their opponents in video gaming competitions across a variety of video game genres. To succeed, members of the esports team must work collaboratively and solve problems quickly. As with any school sport, the teams have a fanbase that comes together to watch—in-person or virtually —and supports gamers as they play. Competitive video gaming itself is not new. However, improvements in computing power and graphics as well as internet performance have made game play more immersive and interactive. Streaming services like Twitch and YouTube, through which players can broadcast their game play and spectators can watch live or post competition, also contribute to the rising interest in esports. What are some of the benefits experienced by esports participants? • Positive impacts on self-esteem • Increased focus in class • Improved academic performance • Building of strategic, analytical, and leadership skills • Enhanced problem-solving abilities • Opportunities to make friends • Greater sense of belonging at school In addition, these students gain new technical skills that can be applied outside of esports, and they may be inspired to pursue higher education or careers in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). As mentioned earlier, internet performance is key to online gaming. Players require low latency for real-time interaction. (Latency, measured in milliseconds, is the delay between a player’s action and the game’s response.) Players also need high download speeds for fast downloading and high upload speeds for streaming their gameplay. Plus, since nothing is as frustrating as being disconnected mid-game, a consistent internet connection is essential. Consolidated actively supports our esports in our service area. See the sidebar for details.
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