Esports has quickly become one of Dallas Independent School District’s most popular extracurricular activities.
The program was launched at 20 campuses in 2019 and has grown considerably, according to the Dallas Independent School District’s (DISD) webpage. The district boasts that esports offers students a fun and exciting extracurricular activity.
“We got such a great response, and then we had to look at the budget because we hadn’t budgeted for so many schools,” said Angie Nuno, student activities manager of the esports program, per DISD. “We did our best to provide the necessary equipment to get them started.”
More than 2,000 students in 94 secondary schools and almost 1,400 in 117 elementary schools participated in five tournaments this year — not including students who participate at the school level. Tournament competition only allows for a limited number of participants.
“Extracurricular activities help students develop many skills that allow them to be successful in academics and life,” said Sharla Hudspeth, executive director of DISD’s Extracurricular and Extended Learning Department, per DISD. “We are excited that schools and students have enthusiastically embraced esports because we want to offer options that give all students an opportunity to participate in something they are passionate about.”
Last year, the esports program was opened to fourth and fifth-grade students who were able to compete in games including Smash Bros, Mario Kart, and Rocket League.
Students are provided with all the necessary equipment to compete, including gaming devices, games, laptops, webcams, microphones, and more. The program enables students to gain skills in broadcasting and other aspects of online gaming.
“Esports is all about communication, team collaboration, and strategic planning because you need to have a clear plan in everything you do. It also develops leadership skills, discipline, sportsmanship, and respect, core values that are essential in life,” Nuno added, per DISD. “Students gain motivation and skills that can lead to new career paths like game design, coding, and communications.”
Nuno noted that the program is a good way for students who are not fluent in English to communicate through the language of gaming.
“Parents are very supportive, and it’s one of the activities where we have the most parents coming to see their kids compete,” added Nuno.
Several colleges, such as the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas at Dallas, offer esports scholarships. Some colleges are even recruiting Dallas ISD students.
Though esports is not a University Interscholastic League activity, the district follows the same participation requirements regarding attendance and grades.
“Esports makes a difference in students’ lives,” said Nuno. “A couple of years ago, a coach shared with me that one of the students who skipped class all the time wanted to be in the esports team. Because attendance is a requirement, he started coming to class. It changed him for the better.”
Changing for the better would be welcomed as students at DISD need encouragement to improve academically. According to the latest accountability report from the Texas Education Agency, only 41% of Dallas ISD students scored at grade level on the STAAR exam in 2021-2022, while almost 20% of the district’s graduating Class of 2022 did not obtain a diploma within four years.