Cleveland High School Esports

Are you looking for a new and fun way to get involved at your high school? Look no further than the Esports program at Holy Name High School in lower Cleveland, Ohio. This program serves as an exciting and unique way to get students involved in extracurricular activities and even provides chances to win scholarship money and college offers. Learn more about the Esports program at Holy Name High School, the benefits of joining, and how you can get involved below.

What Are High School Esports?

Esports, short for electronic sports, is a relatively new type of competition where multiple players or teams compete in video games. Competitions are organized between teams and often streamed live for spectators to watch. Although a wide variety of games can be played, popular titles played at competitions include:

• Halo

• Clash Royale

• Rocket League

• Overwatch

• Minecraft

Esports isn’t just gaming, but rather a well-oiled team of near-professional players uniting to try to beat the other teams. The High School Esports League (HSEL) is the largest in the high school setting and promotes involving students in Esports. Since the vast majority of teens play video games at some point, it makes sense to try to include students in an activity they already enjoy. More importantly, research has shown that Esports in high schools can help increase attendance, grades, and self-esteem.

HNHS Esports Program

The Green Wave Esports program at Holy Name High School in Parma Heights, Ohio, was founded in 2019 and has continued to grow and succeed ever since. Coached and moderated by theology and technology teacher, Mr. PJ Farrell, Holy Name is a place for avid gamers to get involved and feel a sense of belonging. The program began with just a few students and has grown to over 70 members.

Members are divided into different teams depending on the games they play, with their Rainbow Six Siege team competing with 5 players. Holy Name High School's Rainbow Six Siege Team was showcased in a Cleveland.com article to celebrate their win of the High School Esports League (HSEL) national title in 2021. They’ve also won first place in the fall major playoff competition on PlayStation 4.

Currently, around 10% of HNHS’s student body participates in Esports, which helps increase communication between different groups of students and break down barriers. Esports teaches the students about the importance of good communication, strategy, overcoming obstacles, and, of course, computer skills. The Esports team meets in the Innovation Lab, where the up-to-date equipment provides an area for students to practice, plan, and play.

Why You Should Join Our Esports Team

The Esports program at Holy Name High School provides a great way for you to get involved on campus and reap exciting benefits too. The program as a whole has won 6 national championships and members have received around $20,000 in college scholarship money. It has given students a way to get involved in an extracurricular activity that they’re already passionate about. Many students in the program weren’t involved in any school activities before this, and now they’re competing and representing their school doing so.

Esports can also open up future doors for students, with more than 100 colleges and universities now offering Esports as a varsity program. Two schools in Northeast Ohio (Kent State University and the University of Akron) are members of the Esports Collegiate Conference. Several students at Holy Name High School have been offered scholarship offers to play at colleges. If you have any interest in gaming and want to feel a sense of belonging at school, consider joining our Esports program.

Learn More about High School Esports Today

Students in the Cleveland area who want a fun extracurricular activity that they’re passionate about should join Holy Name High School’s Green Wave Esports team. Whether you’re a beginner video game player or an old pro, come check out the Esports program at HNHS in Cleveland, OH, to learn more. Contact Mr. Farrell today with questions or request information from admissions about applying to Holy Name High School today.