North High is a new participant- as of Fall of 2019- in the Wisconsin High School eSports Association (WIHSEA), which is a conglomerate of competitive high school teams for gaming.
WIHSEA Homepage
North High is a new participant- as of Fall of 2019- in the Wisconsin High School eSports Association (WIHSEA), which is a conglomerate of competitive high school teams for gaming.
WIHSEA Homepage
Since 2019, North High has participated in competitive Esports at the state level through the educator-led group, Wisconsin High School Esports Association (WIHSEA). Having started with 29 schools across the state in 2017, the organization has exploded to nearly 200 teams in the 23-24 school year. As a proud member of WIHSEA, North students have participated in multiple titles, over multiple seasons, for the past five years. Games that North has played include:-Rocket League-SMITE-League of Legends-Valorant-FortniteThese games require players to work as a team, but the best teams also have highly skilled players. North's esports teams have participated in state championships twice, once for League of Legends, taking 5th place in the state, and once for Fortnite in which they placed 6th statewide.
Esports is a pipeline for students to gain valuable experience and skills. Esports fosters collaboration, leadership, communication, research, multi-tasking, confidence, digital literacy, and more. With a focus on academics and positive engagement, esports benefits dozens of students each year.
Additional information can be found at the WIHSEA website, https://wihsea.org/, or by contacting North's coach Dan Dielentheis at ddielentheis@sasd.net
Since 2019, North High has participated in the Wisconsin High School Esports Association for competition. We have even been featured on TMJ4! [link: https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/more-teams-continue-to-join-wisconsin-high-school-esports-association] With over 100 schools, WIHSEA is one of the nation's largest state-centered esports groups, built on the foundations of community, advocacy, equitable participation, and interscholastic competition. Starting in Fall 2022, WIHSEA has hosted 3 seasons (previously 2), with each season consisting of two games. Other games may be available as the program expands.
Games offered during the 22-23 school year that North High is able to participate in include: Fortnite, Rocket League, League of Legends, and Valorant.
Like any sport, eSports are an avenue to encourage teamwork, foster scholastic achievement, encourage positive thinking, cultivate leadership, and hone fast decision-making and reaction skills. It is worth noting that nearly 200 post-secondary schools (colleges) nationwide are fostering eSports programs, either through scholarships or competitive teams of their own. The WIHSEA circuit expanded from 30 schools to nearly 100 in a single year, and now hosts well over a hundred schools each year. Students are encouraged to apply for eSports scholarships at their institution of choice- some of which are tens of thousands of dollars.
If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about esports or potentially joining the team, please contact the coach Dan Dielentheis with the contact information listed below.