Cameron Gratezka, a junior at Rocky Mountain High School (RMHS), is currently being recruited to play video games in college.
Gratezka has been playing on the school’s esports team for about two and a half years, competing on the team that plays his favorite game of Rocket League.
“It is amazing to play on a team, representing the school with something I love,” shared Gratezka. “Playing with people who became my best friends brought a whole new meaning to relationships with my teammates.”
For Gratezka, Rocket League is not only a video game, but also a sport. “I commit to it,” he said.
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Gratezka discovered his passion at about 4 years old. He never imagined that his hobby would later earn him roughly $800 in scholarships.
“The scholarship money is surreal,” said Gratezka, who believes that esports are the future. “Me and my parents never thought that I would make money playing video games.”
Playing video games competitively teaches real-life skills, like communication and socialization. Gratezka felt pressured to play basketball initially but knew his Rocket League team was where he belonged.
“I found my place,” he said.
Esports teams from Rocky, Fort Collins High School and the PSD Futures Lab competed this past December in the 2021 Colorado state esports tournament, where Rocky took first place. Some students who competed had never been on an esports team before.
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“A stereotypical gamer is isolated from the world, but in esports, everyone comes together to build team and communication skills to win the game,” said Joe Baffoe, the Futures Lab “Lab Rats” esports coach and a coding app and development lead at Futures Lab. “This is a skill the students might not get playing alone.”
When students play together or compete against one another, they help each other grow.
As a self-declared video game professional, Kaylea Mclane, a senior from Fort Collins High School and student at Futures Lab, is glad to have connected with more people.
“My favorite part of being on the team is building relationships with people you do not see often and learning how to communicate well with them,” Mclane said.
Mclane tried out for the team thinking it could be fun, particularly because she and her family have always played video games together.
“Through this team, I have built new friendships that have become like family, playing video games together,” she said.
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Noah Osborne, a senior at Poudre High School and student at Futures Lab, said that being in the Super Smash Brothers Ultimate finale during the state championship meant a lot to him.
Through this experience, Osborne learned that you should never let anything get in the way of your own success.
Originally, Osborne joined the Lab Rats team to bolster his video game skills. However, he learned that he would gain more than skills -he would gain friendships.
Watch this PSD TV video about esports: