Sports

ECISD introducing esports to campuses

Ector County Independent School District Director of Digital Learning Lauren Tavarez poses for a photo Thursday, October 28, 2021, at the ECISD Administration Building. (Eli Hartman|Odessa American) Since they are just starting, they don’t have data to back it up yet, but nationwide, it’s been shown that attendance improves when the students engage in esports […]

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6 months ago

January 14, 2025

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Ector County Independent School District Director of Digital Learning Lauren Tavarez poses for a photo Thursday, October 28, 2021, at the ECISD Administration Building. (Eli Hartman|Odessa American)

Since they are just starting, they don’t have data to back it up yet, but nationwide, it’s been shown that attendance improves when the students engage in esports because they want to be there and they want to be in school. Many students who take part in esports have never been part of an organization, club or athletic team at school.
“My guess would be more than likely, before the ‘25-26 school year, we’d potentially be looking at that. We wanted to provide this opportunity for our students so that they could be competitive in this way. Again, we want them to be future ready when they leave us. Our kids deserve to be able to participate in this if they would like to,” Tavarez said.
The students are competing, communicating, engaging and getting a chance at scholarships that they wouldn’t have without the introduction of esports, short for electronic sports. And they don’t have to be the biggest, strongest or fastest to be part of it.
She added that they are focusing on after-school clubs at the elementary level. There are coaches at each of the three campuses helping to lead those clubs.
There are at least 60 students taking part in esports between Odessa, Permian and New Tech high schools, Digital Learning Specialist Christina Sifuentez said. NTO has two courses that are part of the curriculum where students can earn high school credit.
“Some are gamers themselves and that’s what piqued their interest. But some are just willing to learn and figure it out, so I also applaud that,” Tavarez said.
People may see it as just playing video games at school, but a lot of teamwork goes into it.
“We want all students to have equal opportunity to be exposed to these experiences because it could ultimately lead to scholarships and things they can excel at down the road,” Tavarez said.
Another driver was equity as many students have the equipment at home, but others do not.
“That’s an incentive for both parties, for the students and for the teachers, because they do want to make sure that they’re paying attention to their coursework and their attendance, too, because they need to be there in order to get better,” Sifuentez added.
“Esports is organized gaming in our schools. We have students that are playing video games on both desktop computers and Nintendo Switches. Some of the big benefits to esports for students that really caught our attention is that it really encourages that sense of engagement and belonging at school,” Director of Digital Learning Lauren Tavarez said.
“We’re already seeing such success at the high school level. We’re already talking about having to put together the process and protocols for tryouts, because the club is getting so much attention that you have to have some limitations on how many kids. We only have so many devices for them to be playing on, and so you don’t want to have too many kids, but we also don’t want to turn kids away that are interested in it,” she added.
The hope, Tavarez said, is that esports will spread districtwide.
What is esports?
The STEM Academy also has esports, but Tavarez said they don’t help much with that squad.
She added that the coaches are “amazing educators that are willing to step up and do this, to be able to provide the opportunity for our kids.
“We’ve got three high schools, three middle schools, and three elementaries that currently have gaming,” she said. “Typically, the older kids are participating on the gaming desktops. We’re really looking to prepare them for college scholarships. There are huge opportunities out there for esports scholarships, which is crazy to think. A stat that I found was over million in esports scholarships were awarded to high school students in 2023. Many of the major universities have created esports teams. We’ve partnered several times with UTPB. They have started their esports program, and so we’re learning this together, but they’ve been great partners already. … Two-hundred-plus colleges and universities now offer varsity esports programs.”
In the last year, Tavarez said they have organized funding to provide gaming desktop computers.
“You think about the students that really connect with this. They may have been searching for their thing. What is their thing that they’re interested in? Doing something like this may help them realize that computer and hardware and those kind of things are something that they are interested in, so it opens up doors in that way also,” Tavarez said.

Abraham Suchil, a 17-year-old senior, and 15-year-old freshman Joshua Garcia, esports athletes at Permian High School, practice in the library. Both have enjoyed having esports on campus and find that it’s an incentive to come to school. (Ruth Campbell|Odessa American)

“They have to focus while they’re doing it; they have to be adaptable in their thinking as the situations change in the game. A lot of those things are skills that also benefit them in the academic world and improve their academic achievements,” Tavarez said.
With tournaments you have a manager, marketing team and shoutcasters, or announcers. Tavarez said there is also a whole production team because professional esports, for example, are broadcast worldwide.
Research shows that esports can provide a connection for kids that, for example, athletics, fine arts and Student Council would provide, she added.

OHS and PHS will be adding esports as a course next year, she added.
Kids at Ector County ISD high schools are playing video games during class, but it’s not just messing around.
Every year, students complete a Panorama Survey that gauges their engagement and belonging in school, among other things. Those feelings take a drastic drop the older kids get, Tavarez said.
Sifuentez said OHS and PHS currently run esports after school.
As with other extracurricular activities, students have to maintain their grades, so the coaches have to make sure that they are eligible to be a part of the program, Sifuentez said.
It’s not sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League, but the state is considering it.
“The big tournaments, you can find them on TV or you can find them streamed,” Tavarez added.

She added that esports also opens career paths for kids such as coding, engineering and professional gaming.

Related Topics:academic amazing athletic big building college complete equipment esports high school marketing new photo production skills sports team tv university video

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Fourteen Trojans Set to Represent Their Countries at World Championships In Singapore

USC water polo has Trojans in full force at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, with 14 current and former athletes in the mix to represent their respective countries at the event running July 10-24 in Singapore. Team USA boasts four Trojans on the men’s roster and four on the women’s roster, including current USC student-athletes […]

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28 seconds ago

July 10, 2025

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Team USA boasts four Trojans on the men’s roster and four on the women’s roster, including current USC student-athletes Emily Ausmus, Rachel Gazzaniga, Ava Stryker for the USA women. On the men’s side, current USC goalie Bernardo Herzer is repping the USA for the first time at a major senior level competition, while his USC teammate Andrej Grgurevic got the call-up for the Australian men. Herzer will have three fellow Trojans in the water with him as well, with Jake Ehrhardt also making his World Championships debut with the USA alongside Olympic bronze medalists Hannes Daube and Marko Vavic.

In addition of the trio of current Trojans, the USA women also have Trojan grad and two-time Olympian Amanda Longan capped up in goal, while the Aussie men have two USC alumni on board in 2024 Olympians Jacob Mercep and goalie Nic Porter. Also on the men’s side three-time Olympian and NCAA champion Kostas Genidounias remains in action for Greece. The women’s bracket also boasts two decorated USC alumnae in recent grad and two-time Olympian Tilly Kearns for Australia and four-time Olympian Anni Espar going strong for Spain.

To follow the action in Singapore, visit the 2025 World Aquatics Championships web site.

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SCVNews.com | TMU Women’s Volleyball 2025 Schedule Released

The Master’s University women’s volleyball team, the defending GSAC champion, which finished the season ranked No. 25 in the NAIA last year, has released its fall 2025 schedule. Once again the season starts with the Hope Summer Slam and CSM Labor Day Classic tournaments, in which the Lady Mustangs will compete against other Top 25 […]

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20 minutes ago

July 10, 2025

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The Master’s University women’s volleyball team, the defending GSAC champion, which finished the season ranked No. 25 in the NAIA last year, has released its fall 2025 schedule.

Once again the season starts with the Hope Summer Slam and CSM Labor Day Classic tournaments, in which the Lady Mustangs will compete against other Top 25 teams. This will be followed by a 16-match conference schedule.

“We are beyond excited for what’s on the schedule for this upcoming fall,” said first-year TMU Head Coach McKenna Hafner. “Last year we were given the opportunity to travel to a couple of high-level tournaments and face off against some ranked teams from out of our area. These matches were confidence builders for us as we realized the program has what it takes to consistently compete at the highest level of NAIA women’s volleyball, and provided a roadmap for where we needed to improve to be able to do that. We wanted to replicate that experience as much as possible this year.”

The Hope Summer Slam tournament, played at Hope International in Fullerton, will include a match against Southern Oregon on Aug. 23, one of the top four teams in the country last season.

“Not every program gets the opportunity to compete against a team that finished in the semi-finals of the NAIA national tournament the previous year,” Hafner said. “So our match against Southern Oregon is particularly exciting. I know our girls are eager for the challenge.”

With both Soka University of America and La Sierra University joining the GSAC this year, the conference will be back up to 10 schools, with five in California and five in Arizona. However, Soka will not field a women’s volleyball team, so TMU will face each of the other eight schools twice, both home and away, to make the 16-match conference schedule.

“As far GSAC play goes, there are a lot of unknowns at this point,” Hafner said. “Adding new programs and changing coaching personnel always shakes things up. We are excited to see what the other GSAC programs will look like and it’s exciting to add an extra layer of challenge with the uncertainty of what that looks like. Our team will have to show up to every match open-minded, adaptable and ready to compete because nothing will be a given.”

To see the complete schedule, click HERE.

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Pro beach volleyball is back, but inside Intuit Dome – Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES — Professional beach volleyball is returning to the Los Angeles area – this time, inside one of its newest sporting cathedrals. The Association of Volleyball Professionals tour will stop at the Intuit Dome, home of the Clippers, for its Week 5 action Friday and Saturday night. The touring league, stacked with Olympians and […]

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25 minutes ago

July 10, 2025

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LOS ANGELES — Professional beach volleyball is returning to the Los Angeles area – this time, inside one of its newest sporting cathedrals.

The Association of Volleyball Professionals tour will stop at the Intuit Dome, home of the Clippers, for its Week 5 action Friday and Saturday night. The touring league, stacked with Olympians and pioneers of the sport, will compete inside the Inglewood arena for the first time.

The Intuit Dome is the latest addition to L.A.’s pro sports infrastructure, and many players are eager to bring beach volleyball’s energy indoors. While the sport typically spikes in attention during Olympic years – ranked as the sixth most-watched sport during the Games – its leap to a major L.A. venue signals growth and offers fans a chance to see it up close in a high-profile setting.

“If fans come out and watch the event,” said Geena Urango of San Diego Smash, “those who haven’t been to one before would realize just how special and entertaining beach volleyball is.”

Urango has a unique relationship with the sport and the city. In 2007, she became the first beach volleyball recruit at USC, laying the foundation for a powerhouse that would go on to win six NCAA titles.

She’s still competing 17 years later.

Both members of the L.A. Launch women’s duo – Terese Cannon (2015-19) and Megan Kraft (2021-24) – followed in Urango’s footsteps at USC. The age gap disappears, they say, when they meet on the sand.

“It’s amazing that she’s still playing at such a high level,” Cannon said. “I sometimes forget she was the first one to play at USC Beach, because she still seems so fresh to the sport. But I know she’s a veteran and a legend.”

Urango is one of many big names in the league.

Phil Dalhausser, a 2008 Olympic gold medalist and four-time Olympian, will retire after the 2025 season. The AVP regards him as perhaps the most dominant player in the sport’s history.

Kelly Cheng, another USC alum (2014-17), competed in the past two Olympics and now plays for Miami Mayhem alongside 2016 Olympian Chaim Schalk.

San Diego Smash’s Chase Budinger joined the AVP after seven seasons in the NBA. He and partner Miles Evans competed for Team USA in 2024.

While these athletes made their names in Olympic arenas, this weekend offers a rare chance to see them compete live, at home.

“It’s the sport that only comes into people’s purview every four years,” said UCLA alum and L.A. Launch player Hagen Smith. “Everybody loves it, but now there’s more opportunity to see all those Olympic athletes. You can just latch on to some amazing new personalities, amazing athletes – and I mean, how can you beat a beach sport? Plus, it’s at Intuit, which makes it even more sick.”

The AVP runs on a team-based format with eight city-backed franchises: L.A. Launch, Miami Mayhem, San Diego Smash, Palm Beach Passion, Brooklyn Blaze, Austin Aces, New York Nitro, and Dallas Dream.

Each tour stop includes four matchups per team contest – two men’s and two women’s – with all results contributing to the team score and standings.

The format encourages continuity and chemistry. Each team travels with consistent men’s and women’s pairs, building bonds that stretch beyond the court.

“You guys are going through this together,” Smith said. “I have so many friends on the tour. When you step on the court, we’re competitors – no friends out there. But off the court, we’re all family.”

This week, Smith and the Launch return “home.”

Through four weekends, L.A. leads the league standings. Now, they’ll look to defend that top spot in front of friends and family on one of the city’s brightest stages.

“It’s so exciting to play in L.A.,” Kraft said. “It’s especially cool because we’re part of the L.A. Launch this year, so we’re able to represent the city and make it our home event. We’ll have some good people in the stands. I invited all my former teammates, friends and family. Hopefully, we get a good crowd at Intuit.”

AVP League Week 5

When: 5 p.m. Friday; 4 p.m. Saturday

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood

How to watch: Friday (6-7 p.m. YouTube @avpbeach; 7-9 p.m. CBS Sports Network; 9-10 p.m. YouTube @avpbeach); Saturday (5-7 p.m. The CW Network; 7-9 p.m. YouTube @avpbeach)

Originally Published: July 10, 2025 at 9:39 AM PDT

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Manor College Names New Men’s Volleyball, Women’s Volleyball and Women’s Basketball Head Coach

McCurdy, from Philadelphia, is described as a dedicated, detailed head coach who seeks effort on and off the court. Manor College Men’s Basketball vs. Central Penn College – December 17, 2024. Mike McCurdy hadn’t yet formalized his basketball training company when he began working with a seven-year-old Autistic boy in Philadelphia. The boy’s mother was […]

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39 minutes ago

July 10, 2025

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McCurdy, from Philadelphia, is described as a dedicated, detailed head coach who seeks effort on and off the court.

Manor College Men’s Basketball vs. Central Penn College – December 17, 2024.

Mike McCurdy hadn’t yet formalized his basketball training company when he began working with a seven-year-old Autistic boy in Philadelphia. The boy’s mother was looking for a coach to do basic skills training and felt comfortable working with McCurdy.

Over the past three years, McCurdy worked with the boy, and each session saw the boy’s growth on the court. More importantly, the child was enjoying the game.

“The response and the reward you get from seeing a person grow and what happens after drives me as a coach,” McCurdy said. “You see the look on their face, the work they put in, it’s so rewarding. You can’t fully put words to it. It’s being inspired by a dedication to watching them grow themselves.”

McCurdy, of Northeast Philadelphia, will become the Women’s Basketball, Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Volleyball head coach for Manor College starting in the Fall 2025 semester.

“Mike is so dedicated to his craft that his hiring was a no-brainer for me,” John Dempster, Manor College Athletic Director, said. “Coach McCurdy is a great recruiter and will have this team up and running in no time. I’m really looking forward to watching our programs grow.”

McCurdy isn’t a stranger to Manor College. He graduated from Franklin Towne Charter High School and currently works as a health Teacher at MaST Community Charter School II in Northeast Philadelphia.

McCurdy was first introduced to Manor through Men’s Basketball Head Coach Leo Mahon, who saw McCurdy during a summer camp and liked McCurdy’s attention to detail. The two clicked over coaching.

“There’s no way he’s putting in the hours he does if he doesn’t love it,” McCurdy said of Mahon. “He loves the process of coaching. He’s a great mentor to me.”

McCurdy sums up his coaching style as someone who rewards effort – “give and take.”

“Whatever you give me, I expect you to reciprocate with your effort on the court,” McCurdy said. “I am not going to micromanage your game. I’m going to let you go out there and be comfortable playing your game as long as you’re giving me that effort on the court.”

McCurdy’s volleyball experience begins with playing the sport as a child. He stopped playing after breaking his arm in sixth grade, but continued to manage teams in the years since.

“I love volleyball because it can’t be won with one person,” McCurdy said. “One person can take over, but to finish it, it takes six players on the court. I’m trying to find the closest knit group and make them a family. You need to trust that your teammate has your back.”

McCurdy describes playing at Manor College as a place where one can work hard and gain opportunities.

“You’re going to get the opportunity to play and what you do with that time is up to you,” McCurdy said. “When I go there, I see it. At Manor, you have to work hard, but Manor will give you the opportunity.”

Manor College Debuts Women’s Flag Football, Men’s Volleyball for 25-26 Academic Year

Manor College Offers Free Resources to Former Crozer Health Employees

Meet the Voices of Manor College’s 2025 Graduating Class

Learn More:

Schedule a visit to Manor College

Apply to Manor College

Become a Blue Jay Athlete

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Week 5 Preview – Intuit Dome Transforms into a Beach, July 11-12

Undefeated top seed L.A. Launch (4-0) returns to the court to face their fiercest challenger yet – the red-hot Palm Beach Passion (6-2). Over eight matches across two nights, the stakes are high: can Launch keep their perfect record, or will Passion take control of the leaderboard? Top Storylines Seven Olympians, one roof. Dalhausser’s farewell […]

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43 minutes ago

July 10, 2025

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Top Storylines

Seven Olympians, one roof. Dalhausser’s farewell tour meets 2024 silver medalists Brandie & Mel.
Perfect vs Proven. Launch are unbeaten but have to play the #2 ranked Passion; Saturday decides control of the standings.
Stat monsters. Wilkerson/Humana-Paredes hit an astounding .660 last outing — one of the best pair efficiency of the season: Kraft’s four-ace run and Cannon’s four-block wall headline Launch’s counter punch.
Newberry’s Introduction. UCLA alum Devon Newberry steps in for Smash to replace injured Rodriguez

Current Standings Snapshot

L.A. Launch 4-0 (10 pts) — 2nd of 4 events
Palm Beach Passion 6-2 (17 pts) — 3rd of 4 events
Brooklyn Blaze 6-6 (19 pts)
Austin Aces 4-4 (11 pts)
Dallas Dream 5-7 (17 pts)
San Diego Smash 3-5 (9 pts)
New York Nitro 3-5 (8 pts)
Miami Mayhem 1-3 (5 pts)

Broadcast Schedule (Pacific Time)

Day	Time	Match	Where
Fri	6 pm	Women – LAUNCH vs SMASH	AVP YouTube Channel
	7 pm	Women – PASSION vs MAYHEM	CBS Sports
	8 pm	Men – PASSION vs MAYHEM	CBS Sports
	9 pm	Men – LAUNCH vs SMASH	AVP YouTube Channel
Sat	5 pm	Women – PASSION vs LAUNCH	CW
	6 pm	Men – PASSION vs LAUNCH	CW
	7 pm	Women – MAYHEM vs SMASH	AVP YouTube Channel
	8 pm	Men – MAYHEM vs SMASH	AVP YouTube Channel

Recent Head-to-Head Numbers

Earlier this season, every rematch went the distance—four matches, four three-set thrillers. Week 2 in San Diego: LA Launch’s Hagen Smith & Logan Weber survived the Smash 13-15, 16-14, 18-16, while Terese Cannon & Megan Kraft out-lasted Urango/Van Winkle 15-9, 21-23, 15-11. Week 3 in Miami: Palm Beach Passion’s Phil Dalhausser & Trevor Crabb flipped a 13-15 opener into 15-13, 15-10 over Mayhem, and Brandie Wilkerson & Melissa Humana-Paredes rallied past Cheng/Shaw 18-20, 15-11, 15-10.

Hagen Smith (.368, 5 aces) & Logan Weber (.308, 4 blocks) edged Budinger/Evans by +2 pts.
Phil Dalhausser (.647, 2 aces, 2 blocks) & Trevor Crabb (.478) iced Schalk/Shaw by +5 pts.
Megan Kraft (.423, 4 aces, 21 Digs) & Terese Cannon (.455, 1 ace, 4 blocks) beat Urango/Van Winkle by +8 pts.
Brandie Wilkerson (.739, 2 aces, 4 blocks) & Melissa Humana-Paredes (.593) beat Cheng/Shaw by +7 pts.

Takeaway: Passion’s women own the efficiency crown (.666), LA Launch Men and Women’s ace + block combo, and Dalhausser still hits like it’s 2008.

Friday — July 11

Palm Beach Passion vs Miami Mayhem

Wilkerson/Humana-Paredes vs Cheng/M. Shaw
Dalhausser/T. Crabb vs Schalk/J. Shaw

L.A. Launch vs San Diego Smash

Cannon/Kraft vs Urango/Newberry (rookie debut)
Smith/Weber vs Budinger/Evans

Saturday — July 12

#1 Passion vs #2 Launch

Wilkerson/Humana-Paredes vs Cannon/Kraft
Dalhausser/T. Crabb vs Smith/Weber

Miami Mayhem vs San Diego Smash

Cheng/M. Shaw vs Urango/Newberry
Schalk/J. Shaw vs Budinger/Evans

Get in the Building

Intuit Dome, 3930 W Century Blvd, Inglewood.

Doors Open: Fri 5 pm, Sat 4 pm.

Grab seats at AVP.com/tickets

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Wimbledon women's semifinals

The Wimbledon final is set. American Amanda Anisimova will take on Poland’s Iga Świątek on Saturday. The winner will walk away with the first Wimbledon title of their careers. Anisimova punched her ticket to the final first with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over Aryna Sabalenka. It was a fantastic, back-and-forth match, but Anisimova came […]

Published

45 minutes ago

July 10, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Wimbledon final is set. American Amanda Anisimova will take on Poland’s Iga Świątek on Saturday. The winner will walk away with the first Wimbledon title of their careers.

Anisimova punched her ticket to the final first with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over Aryna Sabalenka. It was a fantastic, back-and-forth match, but Anisimova came out on top in the end.

The American relied on a fantastic serve, which registered just two aces, but put Sabalenka in tough positions all game. While Anisimova showed signs of frustration and poor body language during the match, she recovered enough to take a huge 4-1 lead in the final set. While Sabalenka battled back, that gap proved to be too big. Anisimova pulled out a narrow 6-4 win in the final set to advance to her first Wimbledon final.

The second match of the day proved to be far less dramatic, as Świątek dominated Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 to advance to the final. Świątek played a phenomenal match and looked absolutely determined to reach the final at Wimbledon for the first time in her career.

Her serve was dominant, registering two aces and contributing to Świątek’s 26 winners. While she made more unforced errors compared to Bencic, Świątek excelled everywhere else. She was 6-for-6 on net points and 5-for-5 on break points.

While Świątek will hold the advantage in the final, Anisimova could prove to be a difficult opponent. The two have never faced each other in a singles match, which could provide Anisimova with an opportunity to surprise Świątek in the final.