Cape Central Academy esports team creates outlet for students and breaks negative stigma around gaming

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Esports has grown a lot over the years with colleges offering scholarships for students to join teams and Cape Central Academy has recently started its own team them being in its second year of existence.  

Cape Central Academy esports coach Bri DeWitt says esports has the same standards as all the traditional high school sports teams.  

“We have a lot of the same standards as your traditional physical sports kids have to make a certain amount of attendance, they have to maintain grades they have to have good behaviors have to show up we practice we play against other high schools I mean there’s a state championship so it’s pretty valid,” said DeWitt.  

DeWitt says early on she saw support for the creation of the Esports team.  But she did have to explain how being part of the esports team was more than just after-school gaming.  

It’s got so many of the same components I mean teamwork is essential being able to control your own you know social and emotional intelligence and stressful and difficult situations and it’s a lot of the same skills and if anything, I think your mind’s having to work a little faster when you’re gaming,” said DeWitt. 

DeWitt hopes by giving students this outlet parents get to see the positive impact gaming has.  

She also so hopes to add more girls to her team of gamers.  

This year she added 3, one of them being Iyana Fleming, a student who was already into gaming. 

“I just got me like a PlayStation and so whenever I tell my mom hey, I got like kind of recruited to do Esports she was like what’s that so she would just confused I just explained it to her and my mom is really supportive in anything so she said yeah you should just go,” said Flemming. 

Both Fleming and DeWitt hope to break the negative stigma surrounding gaming.  

Flemming wants people to know girls can do gaming and DeWitt wants people to be more open to gaming.