Esports

Esports, which are competitive, multiplayer online games, was introduced at Hoban in Fall 2018, and has become a popular, new cocurricular. Hoban has a total of 50 participating students, and is one of only a handful of high schools in Summit County to offer online gaming as a cocurricular. Other area high schools in our league include Akron STEM High School, Western Reserve Academy and Hudson High School.

Each week, Hoban’s esports teams compete against other high schools across the nation, playing online games such as Rocket League, Overwatch, Smash Bros. and League of Legends. 

“I have definitely seen growth in their ability to communicate and work together as a team,” League of Legends moderator Jon Belvin said. “They have a lot of fun with it and are improving each week.” 

As moderators, Belvin, Tom Hottinger and Tym Tagliaferro assist the participants to organize weekly games. “An esports club is a great way to get more students involved in an interactive, skill-building, in-school activity,” Hottinger said. “Participants gain confidence, grow friendships and develop skills that will help them through high school and beyond.”

Seniors Nick Sack, Ben Vrobel and Alex Baumgartner all play on the League of Legends team. A total of six members on their team meet at the school every Tuesday evening and play from about 7 to 9 p.m. 

“Our teamwork has improved a ton,” Vrobel said. “We are currently tied for sixth place in the league out of about 40 teams.”

While Vrobel has only been gaming for about a year, a hobby he picked up from his friends, others have been playing longer. 

“I’ve been playing for about four years, Sack said. “When I heard Hoban was offering esports, I thought it would be a cool way to hang out with friends and do something I enjoy for Hoban. Playing casually at home with friends is fun, but it means more when I’m playing for Hoban. There’s a lot of pride when we win for our school.”

For these seniors, esports is also a hobby that will serve them into the future. Sack and Baumgartner have already been awarded scholarships for the opportunity to play in college.

“It’s definitely something I will continue in college,” Baumgartner said. “It’s an easy way to meet friends and also stay in contact with friends from high school.” 

For senior Paul Hirsch, esports has extended what he’s learned in pre-engineering classes in a practical way. “Pre-enginnering has helped me to know a lot more of the internal workings of computers, which helps know what technical equipment you need and how to improve the gaming experience,” Hirsch said. “You learn about technology and how to use it, but you also learn more about strategy and critical thinking skills. I’ve heard it compared to playing chess because it takes a lot of strategy.” 

Above all, these students are having fun, and that is what keeps them interested to improve each week. “It’s a video game,” Vrobel said. “It’s supposed to be fun. I encourage anyone interested to give it a try.”