Students compete in Rocket League at provincial esports finals

E-sports teams at a Winnipeg high school competed to represent Manitoba at the national championships for Rocket League.

Kelvin High School drew some electrical power on Saturday.

The Manitoba School Esports Association (MSEA) hosted the Fall Split Provincial Finals, with middle and senior year students competing in the video game, Rocket League.

Sponsored by the Winnipeg School Division, 24 middle-year schools and 12 senior-year schools are participating the competition. The game allows players to drive wide range of vehicles capable of flying and jumping, to play soccer.

“This is our biggest season ever for Rocket League,” said Karl Hildebrandt, chair of the MSEA. “I think we have Birtle Collegiate – probably one of our most remote communities that is here today.”

Teams earned points to qualify for semifinals and the finals. According to Hildebrandt, the winner for provincial in senior and middle years can compete at the national competition, hosted virtually by Esport Canada.

In addition, Hildebrandt said this competition is the first time introducing the Game Changers division – specific to “female, female-identifying students or non-binary students.”

Checking for enough power

James Young, teacher at Kelvin High School and coach of the school’s e-sports team, said the first thing to prepare for such event was to “make sure we had enough power.”

“We’re running like 46, 44 gaming laptops in here and they’ll draw enough power that it’ll blow a regular circuit,” he said.

Young added when the organizers first held the event at a different location, they “just plugged everything in and then blew a couple breakers.”

“I never even considered that. It’s crazy.”

Coaching for constructive criticism

As a coach, Young said a lot of kids already know the skills for the game. Most of the coaching aims for having a “conversation in a manner that has a positive outcome.”

“Making sure that your team practices together in a school, in-person is really important. Just because if they are practicing on their own online, or even if they’re practicing with their friends online in their individual spaces, there’s a lot of value in having that in-person interaction.

“It’s a lot easier to be mean to somebody when you’re not in the same room as them.”