HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Video games as a high school sport. What was a completely foreign concept a few decades ago is rapidly gaining traction in the state.
Esports has transitioned from a social activity to a sanctioned school sport, reaching another milestone this weekend with the first in-person Hawaii High School Athletic Association state championships.
“This is probably the most grassroots, student-led effort I've ever seen,” said Iolani esports coach Gabriel Yanagihara.
Esports was officially recognized by the HHSAA in 2019, and Yanagihara credited the students for pushing to make it an official sport.
“You come up to these kids and say, “Hey, no one told you that your parents or teachers or coaches should play video games,'' Yanagihara says.
“They come to us and say they want to compete, they want to see what we can do, and they want to show the nation what Hawaiian athletes can do. Just say.”
It has continued to gain momentum among students across the state in recent years. “It's so great that so many schools are interested,” Iolani esports coach Trey Luke said. “We have over 50 schools participating in Hawaii, and even middle schools. There's obviously a lot of interest.”
Luke has been instrumental in launching esports across Hawaii.
Roosevelt has had a team for the past five years.
They and other schools had to make a case for why it was considered legitimate.
“It requires exactly the same skills as any other traditional sport,” said Mark Kauanui, Roosevelt's esports coach. “Communication, teamwork, dedication. Patience, all that, fine motor skills.”
Proponents point to numerous benefits, including high-stakes competitive experience, strategic planning, camaraderie, and college and career opportunities.
“So they (Iolani esports players) do all the IT work, they do all the PC repair and network construction,” Yanagihara said. “Additionally, they run all of our website articles, social media, and photography. All students who participate in our programs, whether it's esports or other organizations, You can run a whole program like this.
And after years of donning headsets and spending time in their own classrooms, gamers took it to a new level Saturday as hundreds gathered for the HHSAA's first in-person state tournament.
“It makes the competition between the teams even more fun and more fun,” said Aiden Kobashigawa, a freshman at Iolani Esports.
“It's great to be able to meet other people and compete against other schools,” and administrators hope this emphasizes that esports is not game over.
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