CHESTER COUNTY, SC – A sports games league is starting at dozens of schools in South Carolina this winter. The organizer said he hopes to take the league to Charlotte schools soon.
Kaleb Funderburk is a senior at Great Falls High School in South Carolina. His school year has been slightly different from previous years. He does not enter school often because of virtual learning. But the biggest difference for him is sports. He says his football season was not the same due to COVID-19.
“We had a game that was canceled and we had to reschedule some,” said Funderburk. “We only played a few. It was kind of frustrating to be our senior season. “
There is a game that he can play with his friends without seeing them in person, and it is electronic sport.
“You can make friends with them in whatever game you’re playing, and that will show up if they’re connected,” says Funderburk. “So, you can invite them to your party.”
Funderburk says he even made new friends while playing. That’s why he was excited when he heard that the school was starting an e-sports league in January.
“We currently have 12 schools,” says Mainstage Gaming Network founder Cory Sloan. “We have 10 public schools and a private school.”
Sloan is also a great player. He recently started his company to act as a platform to host school game tournaments. He is also a basketball coach at Northwestern High School in York County.
“We were saying, ‘Look, guys, you have sports, they can be disabled, but online video games can’t,'” said Sloan.
Sloan knew that there was a great demand for him. A video game tournament held in Charlotte in February 2020, before COVID-19, drew hundreds of people. He said that most of them were of school or university age, and people were not just there to play.
Courtesy Trent Chantemerle
“I think the other most important thing that he demonstrated is that there is a demand for people to watch,” said Sloan. “I think it is the key to the cities and the people who are promoting the events, because that is where the money is generated.”
Great Falls High School sports director Garrett Knight said the club will be organized with a coach who will act as coach.
“He warns the kids when it’s the competitions and organizes the teams,” says Knight.
Knight said players can compete against students from other schools or just play against each other.
“Children can choose the game they want to play,” says Knight. “The other thing is that parents still need to sign permission for these kids to play.”
Sloan said he hopes to use the plan in South Carolina as a model to start leagues at more schools.
“I’ll get in touch with Charlotte and Greenville and say, ‘hey, this is what we’re doing, this is how it’s done, would you be interested in doing that next semester?'” Says Sloan.
The league will cost $ 30 for students to join. For more information click here.