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Hundreds gather for esports tournament

Students gathered to play Valorant, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros.
Noah Farley
Students gathered to play Valorant, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Over one hundred high school and middle school students met at Compass Academy for its East Idaho Esports Regional Invitational.

Some players came from as far as Burley to play Rocket League, Valorant and Super Smash Bros.

Even if the students aren’t playing on a field, Esports are still considered sports.

There are several benefits the students can get from playing—including college scholarships.

"We have pathways into college. We have a couple of CEI players, high schoolers that are already playing for CEI, that are here at the tournament today, which is really exciting," said the tournament's coordinator Valarie McAllister.

Players also get to learn communication skills, leadership skills and how to work as a team.

“And so those students are gaining invaluable skills," McAllister said, "Whether it's on a real field or a virtual field.”

McAllister also says even if the students decide not to go collegiate or professional, they get a lot of technical skill they can put on their resumes when they enter the workforce.

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Noah Farley

Noah is a reporter for Local News 8.

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