The Arkansas Activities Association is throwing its hat in the ring in regards to eSports. In January the AAA Board of Directors voted to enter a partnership with PlayVs, an online gaming provider based out of Los Angeles, California. PlayVs has worked directly with the NFHS and NFHS Network to become the sole eSports league of member state associations.
“PlayVs is committed to high schools,” said Derek Walter, Assistant Executive Director of the AAA. “We are excited to partner with a company like PlayVs. They are committed to introducing eSports to our member schools in the most efficient way possible.” PlayVs partners with game developers to make sure games are team based, appropriate for students, and capable of being played on school computers to keep operating cost down. “Starting eSports in Arkansas is first and foremost about increasing participation in schools,” said Walter. “Our goal is for eSports to target students who don’t currently participate in activities like football, basketball, band, or drama.”
Currently PlayVs has three games available to students: League of Legends, Smite, and Rocket League. These games will have teams of three to five students. Each school can have multiple teams for each game. eSports will be structured into a fall and springs season.
he deadline to sign your school up for the spring season is February 8th. The spring season will run from February 25th through April 22nd. The cost to play eSports is $64.00 per student per season. For more information on eSports go to ahsaa.org/media.
