The Brush High School Esports team began their inaugural season with a sense of excitement and anticipation on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Led by Coach Kendra Taylor, affectionately known as ‘Coach K,’ the newest co-curricular offering at Brush High School features sixteen players from grades 9-12 who compete against other member schools in Esports Ohio. An educational nonprofit organization created by teachers, Esports Ohio includes a list of nearly 400 Middle and High Schools across the state who are participating in the rapidly growing arena of Esports competition. 

The team practices every Tuesday and competitions take place every Wednesday in the brand-new Esports room at Brush. The site of a former study hall room, the current space has been transformed into an impressive Esports competition room that features twenty-one gaming stations along with four Nintendo Switch consoles and several large flatscreen TV’s. During the season, each team member picks a specific game to specialize and compete in, and is led by a captain who was selected by their peers. Ninth grader Malik Lesley serves as the team captain for the Super Smash Brothers game. An avid player of video games since he was five years old, Malik enjoys the strong sense of community provided by the Esports team. He is honored for the opportunity to serve as the team’s captain which involves making sure that the T.V. and game systems are set up and that everyone is engaged and feels a part of the team. 

Junior Ryan Watson is the team captain for the Rocket League game which combines the worlds of soccer and high-powered cars. He is excited about the new co-curricular opportunity of the Esports team and in his role as team captain helps to set goals while making sure everyone is prepared and on time. 

The new Esports team is providing Brush students with a new and exciting way to be a part of the school community. Coach Taylor shared that every team member is engaged and excited to participate. The team will compete through the month of April and hopes to qualify for the Esports playoff competition. In the meantime, members of the SEL Schools community can watch a recorded livestream of the Super Smash Brothers team’s first competition and get a glimpse of the exciting gaming experience of the Esports Team on the district’s YouTube channel. Congratulations to the Brush Esports Team on their historic start and best of luck this season!