WOODBURY – The word “sports” is often synonymous with courts, sidelines, and raucous crowds. Nonnewaug, however, will offer something new, and something uniquely different this fall: the school’s first ever E-Sports Team.
Founded by NHS’ technology instructor Katie Blake, the E-Sports team has three different teams who will be competing in various games throughout the year. Despite its recent development, the team already has several members who were very eager to join including the team president Flynn Amodio.
“The administration actually approved the team almost immediately,” according to Katie Blake, the instructor overseeing both the E-Sports team and Video Game Club. “I contacted my people at Post and Quinnipiac University and I reached out to an E-Sports company in Newtown. I then put a proposal together and sent it to the principal over the summer.”
When forming the team Blake contacted sources at both Post and Quinnipiac University and networked with the founder of an E-Sports company in Newtown. She learned everything she possibly could about E-Sports before sending in the proposal form to the principal who almost immediately sent it up to the superintendent.
“I know there will be a lot of students interested in joining the team,” Flynn Amodio, the team captain, replied when asked about how the team will be planning to gain new members. “I think it’s going to naturally grow.”
Due to this fall being the first season of the team’s existence, Blake decided it would be better to start small. The E-Sports team will only be competing with one game and at this point in time there are only three student teams who are competing. However, Blake has expressed a desire to expand come the winter and spring. She hopes to add more games for team members to compete in which will help to expand the club on its own. Blake believes an E-Sports team will be a great interest to many students which will cause the team to expand.
“I decided to start small for the fall as it is our first season and there will only be one game being played,” Blake says, envisioning an E-Sports program that rivals some of the best around the state. “I plan on opening the club up to more games come winter.”
