Barnegat Esports Team To Compete In International Showcase

BARNEGAT, NJ – Barnegat High School’s esports team is one of three teams from New Jersey schools that will compete in an international showcase on Saturday morning.

The school’s Overwatch team will be competing against schools from the United Kingdom. Though the team has the option to play from home, the students will instead gather at the school to compete together.

“I think it will be really cool to all be together for such an exciting event,” said Traci Sellers, Barnegat High School's computer science teacher and esports coach, in a news release. “It’s such a cool opportunity, we had to jump at the invitation to participate."

The international competition will be live on Saturday at 9 a.m. Barnegat will compete second starting around 10 a.m. on the Twitch homepage www.Twitch.tv. Additional broadcasts will air on the Twitch channels of British Esports Association, Garden State Esports, Conference One and the Sports Illustrated website.

With Barnegat’s state-of-the-art lab not yet complete, most of the team is bringing their own PCs on Saturday, including Sellers so as many kids as possible can participate.

Once the lab is complete, students will have even more opportunities for students to get involved in roles like lighting and sound, as well as steamers and casters, who broadcast the games and give play-by-play commentary.

Currently 50 students participate in the high school's esports organization, which includes players, managers, and website and social media managers.

Part of Garden State Esports, Barnegat is one of more than 80 districts in the state with an esports team. Barnegat High School started their program in spring of 2020 and participation continues to grow.

“The kids just love it. It gives them a sense of belonging and provides them an opportunity to connect with other kids who have similar interests. The program has really helped so many students come out of their shell and it’s a difference you can see,” Sellers said.

While Barnegat was the first in the state to make esports a varsity sport, several other districts have since followed suit. Esports athletes must follow the same guidelines as other sports in the district to be eligible to participate and letter, like maintaining good grades and attendance records and participating in a certain number of practices and matches.

“Popularity in esports has grown tremendously over the years and I think it’s important that we recognize that and what it means for our students,” said Barnegat Superintendent Dr. Brian Latwis. “It’s not just a professional sport, but also something that colleges are recruiting for. By recognizing this and allowing our students to have the opportunity to earn a varsity letter, we hope that it helps open the doors to the many possibilities out there in the world of esports for them.”

Esports is a three-season activity, with the fall season wrapping up in mid-November. The championships are scheduled to be held at Rutgers University in December.

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