Penn-Trafford High School forms esports team

Penn-Trafford High School is getting into the burgeoning esports scene with the creation of one of the area’s first high school teams.

“We understand esports is over a billion-dollar business right now, and is projected to go up to $2 billion,” said Dennis Kosoglow, who oversees the team with fellow teacher John Carlisle. “We wanted to provide Penn-Trafford students with the opportunity to capitalize on this market.”

The school bought five high-end gaming computers, and Kosoglow hopes the district will purchase dozens more over the next few years.

There are more than 30 students involved in the new club, and organizers expect the ranks to grow quickly.

“The younger students, they’re wired differently from previous generations,” Kosoglow said. “And with covid, the number of students looking to entertain themselves with gaming has drastically increased.”

The club will compete against other high schools in three games in its first year, according to Carlisle — Rocket League, League of Legends and Valorant.

Rocket League combines soccer with race cars, League of Legends casts players as fantasy heroes in a strategic battle, and Valorant pits teams against each other in tactical gunfights.

Carlisle used to play games like League of Legends and Rocket League competitively before he became a teacher.

“I absolutely loved it,” he said. “I think it’s the future.”

He brought the idea of an esports team to Penn-Trafford. Students can learn a lot through competitive gaming, he said.

“There’s teamwork, problem-solving, strategizing, and there’s a lot of STEM learning,” he said.

STEM is short for science, technology, engineering and math.

Kosoglow hasn’t been much of a gamer since playing the original Legend of Zelda in the ’80s but, by talking with Carlisle and students, he quickly came to see the merits of an esports team, he said.

The livestreaming website Twitch.tv convinced him that competitive video games are a big deal.

“When you go to Twitch, you’re going to see hundreds of thousands of people watching others play video games,” he said.

Several area colleges recently have started esports programs, including Robert Morris University, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and Point Park University.

“People are riding that wave now,” Carlisle said.

Some colleges offer scholarships for talented players, and Kosoglow said he wants Penn-Trafford students to be well positioned to compete.

“I truly appreciate every student having the opportunity to succeed here at Penn-Trafford, no matter what direction they’re heading,” he said.