An announcer broadcasts to the few listeners in the room that eighth grader Zander Bartlett swung his third strike, calling him out.
On a real baseball field, he’d head back to the dugout, kicking up dust and wait for another chance at the plate. But Bartlett isn’t on a real baseball diamond. He’s protected from the winter elements outside, standing in a dry and warm Wrangell Middle School classroom, cleat free on the carpeted floor, trying for a homer on the Nintendo Wii. This isn’t free time, this is esports.
Although Wrangell’s student athletes have dribbled, served, and wrestled their way to victory for decades, esports has been gaining momentum to the school sports scene. Even if it’s missing actual balls and bats, it still brings teammates together, giving them a sense of unity.
When Special Education teacher Mikki Angerman learned about esports, she saw an opportunity, especially for students who can’t participate in traditional sports like basketball or baseball.
“I started kind of looking into it, looking online about different schools,” she said. “And really, during COVID, esports kind of grew with schools.”
When she introduced the idea to her students, they got excited. So she decided she’d build a team, even though she didn’t know anything about gaming. She started hosting gaming sessions in her classroom twice a week after school with a handful of enthusiastic students.
“All we had at the time was the Wii and we would do little tournaments,” Angerman said. “So we would have bowling tournaments, and we’d have, oh, they have sword fighting and they have Mario.”
She said she got prizes for the winners. Nothing big but it just kind of grew from there. Now, they have about 15 students in the group.
Benefits to gaming
She said some gaming critiques are misguided.
“There are actually a lot of jobs that you can get from that experience,” Angerman said. “Anywhere from building a PC to the graphic arts of gaming, from managing it in a group and the social skills we’re having to cooperate with each other.”
Along with cooperating with each other, Coach Angerman said the students are also learning how to lose gracefully.
“We have a lot of talks about it,” she said. “But what’s kind of neat, and I hope sometime that people can pop in and see our group, is they’ll talk to each other and be like, ‘Hey, remember, it’s okay.’ So they’re having those conversations with each other, like, ‘Remember, it’s just a game.’ I don’t even have to step in when they’re doing that for each other.”
Eighth grader Houston Charles Natt has been in esports for about two years now and is the president of the club.
“I like seeing kids smile, getting to enjoy the games,” he said. “Yeah, the whole shebang.”
He said his favorite game is Mario Kart Wii and he also really enjoys Wii Sports, especially boxing. He said there are benefits to playing these games too.
“It has been confirmed by researchers that playing games can actually sharpen your reflexes,” Natt said.
Another student who plays a significant role on the tech side of the club is the coach’s son, seventh grader Griffey Angerman.
“I’d say I’m co-manager,” he said. “Whenever someone needs help, and Houston’s not there, I help. Or when someone’s like, ‘Something’s wrong with the computer, like it’s glitching, or something,’ they would ask me.”
He said they just installed a Nintendo Switch on their flat screen, and they’re getting a new flat screen too.
“If they want to go in on their little own account, and do their little Animal Crossing World, or whatever they want to do,” Griffey said. “I set it up, getting it on (there) and stuff like that.”
“Getting a PC would just be leveling up.”
The new screen Griffey was eager to install is part of a wave of equipment they received. At the end of last year, the tribal government, Wrangell Cooperative Association, awarded a $20,000 grant to the team.
“I couldn’t even believe it,” Coach Angerman said. “I mean, it brought tears to my eyes when I found out we would have a chance at this. I’m hoping that we can grow even more from that.”
Angerman said after they found out they got the grant, the team made a list of what their biggest needs are. She said they really only needed the basics just to compete in the state’s esports league: at least six PCs, Nintendo Switches, tables and chairs.
“Getting a PC would just be leveling up. I mean, no pun intended there, but leveling up,” she said. “That’s a big difference.”
Griffey said that esports are important to him because some people don’t have an after school program they can participate in. Plus, they can just be themselves.
“Some people can after school go to this club, which brings more inclusion to people,” he said. “Last year, a bunch of people with disabilities came in and they got to play too.”
Since the club is about inclusion and respect, he said he wants anyone who’s curious about joining the team to come check it out.
