GEMS Esports start Thursday, September 10th and end Thursday, December 10th.

• Practice days are Mondays 3:00-5:00

• Game days are Thursdays 3:00-5:00 - the first two weeks are pre-season practice

• Grades 6 through 8 only

• Please complete your registration no later than September 14th. Late registrations may be considered on a case by case basis

Esports are competitive team video games with adult coaching and guidance. They have many of the same benefits as traditional sports like; improving socialization, teaching team and leadership skills, increasing mental health and positive life outlook, developing sportsmanship, improving communication skills, increasing community and school connectedness, and more. And it’s fun! We’ll be playing the team game Rocket League which is basically soccer with cars. No prior experience with Rocket League is required.

Esports follows the rules and guidelines from the GEMS Middle School Athletic Handbook. It all applies except for the Wellness Form (we don’t use that for Esports). Students and parents need to sign the Esports Athletic/Extracurricular Activity Participation Agreement

This is not a drop-in opportunity. You can’t just decide to come some days and not others. You must consistently attend practices, stay out of trouble, and keep your grades up, just like soccer, basketball, or other sports. Communication is key!

In Soccer? Track? Something else? See the FAQ below. It may be possible to do both. Talk to your coaches.

This year we are opening up Esports to grades 6 through 8 (in the past it was just 7/8). There is a possibility we have more students sign up than we have room for (or more sign ups than we can handle).  We’ll cross that bridge if we have to, but it could mean some limits may need to be put in place to make it all work.

• Students 13 years old and over will be able to compete in the brand new COMPETITIVE league which has actual playoffs and championships

• Students 12 years old and under will be in the RECREATIONAL league. It has scrimmages and rankings, but no playoffs or championships

Some online account sign-ups are required. Some are age specific. Accounts are needed on TeamSnap, Epic Games, and PlayVS.

Expand the sections below for answers to frequently asked questions.