This fall NDCL joined the growing worldwide phenomena of esports by launching a new program that pits our talented students in video game competitions against teams from schools throughout the state in the Esports Ohio League. Esports is much more than fun and games played in a family's basement rec room. Revenue from the global esports industry exceeds $1.1 billion, with an estimated fan base of more than 500 million persons. In the United States, more than 150 colleges and universities now offer varsity esports teams. A growing number of schools offer degrees in gaming design and esports management as well as scholarships, including full rides, for outstanding gamers. For example, Ohio State University, which is home to four esports teams and an esports arena, just started a bachelor of science program in game studies and esports to prepare students for careers in the lucrative global gaming industry. To give our students a competitive edge in this new arena of interscholastic competition, this summer we transformed a second-floor classroom into NDCL's Esports Center. The center features 25 fully loaded gaming computers that were designed and built by IT support specialist Mr. Kyle Hoffman '19. The machines feature super-fast processors and video cards, mechanical backlit keyboards, and slick-looking curved gaming monitors. NDCL's Athletic Boosters contributed $10,000 toward the launch of our esports program. Charter members of the esports Lions include freshmen Charlie Sturgill, Sydney Wiegand, Josh Galante, and Dakota McPadden; sophomores Xavier Onders, Matt Mejia, Medo Abumathkou, and Joe Del Balso; and senior Libby Burns, team captain. Mathematics teacher Mr. Joseph Lumpkins coaches the team.
|  Freshmen Charlie Sturgill (clockwise from bottom) and Josh Galante join sophomore Joe Del Balso in a recent competition in NDCL's new Esports Center. |