The public school system is often the financial “haves” versus the “have-nots.” In our corner of southeast Illinois, our rural schools don’t have the resources that schools in metropolitan communities enjoy. When the realization set in that high school esports programs were going to be a real thing, I wanted to get a handle on what kind of gear schools were using to see if there was a way I could help a “have-not” compete with the “haves."
When I learned that one of the schools we serve had an esports team, I couldn’t set up a time to visit them fast enough. Vienna High School has some progressive scholastic opportunities, and its esports setup was far beyond what I imagined. By using grant funds, we were able to purchase new computers for a drafting class, bringing 21 high-powered desktop computers online to pull double duty to support esports. As I got a crash course on esports from the coach, the totality of what it took to launch and maintain an esports program began to sink in. A number of our local schools no longer had band or art programs due to budget cuts throughout the years, so, for many, the odds of a self-funded esports team were nonexistent.
I kept an eye out for funding opportunities or partnerships that could help fund an esports launch, but I had tunnel vision with what I saw in Vienna until I saw a Facebook post from one of our peers. CASSCOM (Virginia, Ill.) donated a television, gaming console and a few games to one of its area schools to launch its program. I had been so focused on replicating the Taj Mahal that I completely missed the opportunity to provide the basics.
Each holiday season, Shawnee holds a 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway. Starting December 13, we select a random customer and award them a prize. Our prizes start small but grow in value as we move towards the December 24 finale. We had been trying to find a way to incorporate some community giving into the program, and esports was now an obvious solution.
Conversations with Gallatin County and Goreville high schools occurred to ensure the schools would welcome and could maximize an esports gift. Naturally, both schools were thrilled to provide additional opportunities for their student bodies with no out-of-pocket expense.
On January 31, 2025, we were able to deliver esports equipment to the respective schools. The administration and coaches were excited to get the equipment in hand, and some students had “it’s really happening” looks on their faces. As we continue to look for additional opportunities to enhance our communities, we’ll strive to remember that the magic happens when we don’t let the idea of the perfect solution get in the way of basic improvement.