Press Start

Deep within the halls of Fairfax High, hidden away in the Publications Lab, sits five large Desktop PC’s built specifically for gaming. Every Wednesday afterschool, F107, which is typically used for Journalism and Photojournalism, hosts practices for the Fairfax eSports. Among the team are three students, expected to be leaders among the League of Legends team, who only a few months ago lived in Turkey, just over 5,200 miles away. Ferdaws Darzabi, a freshman who’s been in the country for only three months, was introduced to League of Legends over a decade ago by his brother, and has been transfixed by the game ever since. “There’s a lot of nostalgia attached to the game for me, and I’ve been trying to capture that same feeling of playing with my brother,” said Darzabi. Similarly, Osman Timur and his brother, Bulut, who have been in America for five months, were introduced to the game by cousins over eight years ago and have been playing ever since. “I just love the style and characters of the game, it’s very unique,” said Timur in an interview. Darzabi is the most technically skilled of the three, claiming the rank of Grandmaster: the second highest competitive rank in the game. Both the Timur brothers only play the game casually, but claim to play at the level of Master, one rank below Grandmaster. The trio will be a core part of the eSports team’s upcoming season, which is began in mid February. On the chance to compete for the school in an organized manner, Darzabi said that “it’s really cool that the school provides something like this for the students, especially ones who don’t have computers.” Providing the necessary technology is especially important for Osman and Bulut, who have been using the Publications Lab to practice due to not having computers in America yet. 

Lack of access to adequate technology was a large hurdle for competitive gaming in Turkey, where high schools rely on “a single 90’s-era laptop for all their technology,” claimed Darzabi, “Northern Virginia is a lot better in terms of what a student can get technology-wise.” Osman added that, “even at the best universities, you’ll be lucky to join a casual gaming club, there is nothing like the organized team that exists at Fairfax.” In Turkey, lots of students end up going to internet cafes, places that provide computers and offer cheap internet access, in order to play video games. Both Osman and Bulut would frequent these cafes, where you could use a computer for as little as ten cents an hour, before they had their own personal computers. For them, this was the most they could get in terms of competitive gaming, meanwhile in America, opportunities for pro gamers have become seemingly endless almost overnight. “It’s pretty cool that you can get scholarships from doing this hobby,” said Darzabi, “personally, I like the skins and champions that come with being on the team.”

Level Two

Getting scholarship money for being good at video games is not a novel idea, as over 170 US colleges and universities now have official eSports teams, and many offer full scholarships for their rosters, according to Bold.org. Additionally, over 8,600 high schools across America have created eSports teams since 2018, when eSports was recognized as an official sport by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). The Virginia High School League (VHSL) also recognizes eSports as an official sport in Virginia, and each year oversees two regular seasons as well as state tournaments just like any other school sport. Fairfax made a foray into the eSports scene in 2021, forming a team right as classes were forced to go virtual and students were told to stay inside. There was a strong push as the COVID-19 pandemic kept everyone indoors, leading students to form connections over video games instead of in-person athletics. In March of 2022, the Fairfax eSports, led by eSports coach David Greene, played in their first organized competitions. “I think everyone has a competitive streak in them, and not every student is gonna be interested in applying that to athletics,” said Greene, “right now there is an underserved population of kids who want to compete with their peers, and it’s good to have an outlet for that.”

The team focuses on two of the three games allowed by VHSL, hosting a Super Smash Bros team and a League of Legends team, all of  which participated in state competitions in 2021, with the League team placing third. Smash Bros has been a large focus of the eSports program so far, but with the additions of Ferdaws, Osman, and Bulut to the League of Legends team, it’ll be a strong year for all facets of the program. 

eSports Club

Outside of organized team play, opportunities exist to compete with your peers in a more casual environment, through the Fairfax eSports club, which meets throughout the year on Wednesdays. The eSports club plays games that are not typically offered through the official VHSL rules, and serves as a space to meet people who share an interest in gaming and play in a more relaxed atmosphere. Co-Presidents Anton Perez and Malik Ogude, both seniors, have been members for several years, and have gotten a lot out of the club throughout high school. “I’ve gotten friends out of it,” emphasized Ogude. “Yeah the social aspect is important for sure,” added Perez, “also using your leadership skills and being more confident are two big skills that have been super helpful.” Formerly club officers, the two Co-Presidents manage the club throughout the winter and spring, before the season even starts. “What we do is get together and plan out the future of the club, and figure out events that will help the club,” said Perez. One idea the pair came up with was the creation of a members-only Minecraft realm. “It’s brand new, and I think it’s one of the best ideas we’ve had, because we want to stray out further from Smash Bros,” said Perez. While the eSports team focuses on scrimmages in the room over, the eSports club offers snacks, drinks, and casual tournaments for games from Super Smash Bros to Mario Kart. During one meeting, Perez  brought his Wii and hooked it up so that everyone could get a chance to play some Wii games. Whether competitive or casual, an opportunity exists for anyone who has an interest in gaming alongside their peers. On the rise of eSports in high schools, Ogude stated, “it’s very cool that something like this can bring people together and have the same effect as any other sport.” The sudden meteoric rise of video games being recognized by high schools has provided a space for everyone to get together and be part of a team, even if you’ve been playing your entire life, or haven’t ever touched a controller.