MHSEL Community E-News What is Game On?The Michigan High School Esports League is excited to share with you "Game On," our first-ever esports community e-newsletter. The goal of this publication is to provide educators with important announcements, information and insight on all things esports and its connection to students and education. Featuring a mix of media, Game On has content that has been curated and created by students, coaches, administrators, college and professional gamers, and industry professionals. The esports movement is continuing to grow and MHSEL wants to help schools harness the power of competitive gaming to support student opportunities and inclusivity. This newsletter will hopefully shine a light on the benefits of esports and the positive impact it can have on the school community. Enjoy!The Impacts of EsportsAs a high school assistant principal, I am sometimes overly analytical about new initiatives or programs. We are trained to dissect everything and predict outcomes, intended and unintended. Despite years of doing this, I could have never predicted what a positive impact Esports would have for us at Ludington High School. While I figured it would give a group of students a positive outlet for their hobby, it has actually tapped into a deep passion for building our Esports community and creating future pathways for success. By Steve Forsberg, Ludington High School Assistant Principal & Esports Coach and MHSEL Advisory Board Member Michigan HS Freshman Wins Regional ChampionshipAt the conclusion of the Spring 2022 Season, one of our very own student athletes won the Eastern Regional Championship for Madden NFL 22. Kymen Cartwright, an East Kentwood High School Freshman, at the time (now in 10th grade), won it all! Cartwright shared how his esports experience has allowed him to meet new friends and his favorite teacher. When asked why he loved esports, Cartwright said it let's him demonstrate his impeccable skills in Madden, "without Esports, my friends and other students would never know." Cartwright stated that he hopes to get to the playoffs and advance further in the national competition this school year with the goal of one day playing in college. His advice for anyone considering esports is "Do it! Even if you aren't the best, it's still fun and you'll meet new people and be a part of the team." Class of 2022 Graduation Speech | Find Your People & Celebrate Your InterestsBy Jonathon Meadows, Hudsonville High School Class of 2022
MHSEL Prep is the Middle Level Club Curriculum for our league! Click to view the video below and learn more of what we have in store for Middle Level!The Golden GrizzliesOakland University has a varsity esports program under Athletics. Esports Head Coach Carl Leone has been leading the program since Fall 2020. Heading into their third competitive year, the team practices and competes out of a brand new gaming arena, The Grizzden. Oakland Esports has 30 players who compete in League of Legends, Overwatch, Smash Ultimate and Rocket League. Up to full tuition scholarships are available to players with average scholarships covering $1,500/year. Oakland Esports finished top 12 in the world in collegiate Rocket League in the 2021 - 2022 season. The Smash Ultimate team has been ranked in the top 10 in North America. League of Legends has qualified for CLOL North playoffs and is ranked top 50 in North America. Esports Production Bachelor's Degree at FSUFerris State University not only has a collegiate esports team and is in the midst of building an esports arena but also has a Bachelor's Degree in Esports Production that is available fully online! Combining creative prowess with technical expertise, the Professional Esports Production program at FSU will prepare students to launch their career in this booming industry. Focusing on production, content creation, streaming, and user interface design, students will build the skills to produce and distribute content, setup, host, and stream professional esports events, and develop programmable screen overlays and user interfaces. More Than Just a Game: Designing for Esports
Four essential considerations for creating optimally effective gaming spaces.Recognizing the importance of esports in building skills and improving student outcomes, Steelcase research identified four essential design considerations for creating optimally effective gaming spaces:
The Michigan High School Esports League (MHSEL) in partnership with MASSP, MASC/MAHS and Oakland University, is proud to announce the first-ever Explore Esports conference in conjunction with the Fall 2022 Season Semi-Finals and Championships! Whether your school has a competitive esports team, an after-school club, or you just want to learn more about the esports industry and the opportunities and skills provided to students, then this is a must-attend event. Learn from esports professionals, college coaches, players, and other industry leaders about the benefits of providing esports to student-athletes. Plus, see high school esports in action as MHSEL teams compete live for state titles. Stay Tuned!Our team has been working hard to provide the elite high school esports experience, we're currently planning a virtual tournament with the Detroit Pistons GT and coordinating Game Strategy Sessions via Twitch with our collegiate partners from Oakland University and Ferris State University. More details coming soon! Record Breaking Season Numbers!Fall 2022 Season we have set our all time highest number of enrolled schools (54) and teams (184). Thank YOU for helping the league grow and reach more students in Michigan. Click image below to enlarge and view participating schools . ResourcesMeet the MHSEL Team!Ryan Cayce
|