FAHS eSports to Debut This School Year

Fleetwood is developing its extracurricular options to focus more on computer science, and that means the start of the school’s first esports club.

Matthew Farr, a math and computer science teacher at Fleetwood Area High School is starting various classes pertaining to computer science. He is also starting an eSports club for competitive students who enjoy gaming.

The computer science program includes Cybersecurity 1, Cybersecurity 2, 2D Game Design, and 3D Game Design. Students who complete Cybersecurity 2 will be qualified to take the CompTIA A+ certification examination, an IT industry certification.

In addition to the diverse computer science program, an esports club is in its infancy. The esports club will begin with games such as Rocket League, Hearthstone, and Chess. The esports club will follow the same structure as sports teams, with jerseys, competitions, eligibility, and school spirit.

Students who do not prefer traditional sports but are looking for a competitive experience while in high school are encouraged to consider participating.

“No student should ever eat lunch alone or be alone in their journey through high school,” Farr said. The esports club will provide students the opportunity to enjoy alternative extracurricular pursuits beyond the norm.

Fleetwood has received twelve high-end gaming PCs that will be designated for the computer science program along with the esports club.

Students will be able to begin taking these classes in the fall of the 2024-25 school year. Each class is a semester-long, and there are no prerequisites for beginner-level courses.

“Students will gain real-world experience in these content areas,” Farr said. “The vision for these courses is to…give students a clear path, from 9th grade to graduation, in which they can prepare for a career in computer science or some other related field.”