Jonesboro, AR — (Contributed) — May 16, 2025 — With its first national title in hand, the Arkansas State University Esports team is looking forward to future team play.

The team recently brought home a National Esport Collegiate Conference (NECC) championship, marking the first time the team has competed for a national title.

“Winning a divisional championship in either semester guarantees a spot in the national tournament,” said Fielding Belk, Esports director.

He said the team has improved over the past two semesters.

“In the fall, the Rainbow Six team went 3-4 and lost in the quarterfinals. This spring, the team went 6-1 and won their divisional playoff, clinching a spot in nationals,” said Belk, a Collierville native who graduated this spring with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Rainbow Six Siege is a “team-based video game with fast-paced tactical battles.”

The A-State Rainbow Six team is made up of six players, including Beebe native Tucker Oxner, a senior information systems and business analytics major; freshman psychology major Vincent Valenti of Brooklyn, N.Y.; sophomore exercise science major Jackson Facello of Memphis; freshman information systems and business analytics major Tra Guthrie of Wynne; junior radiological sciences major Geoffrey Schaefer of Malvern, and Belk.

In Esports, Belk said that each semester is considered a season. Earlier this year, he said the team traveled to Colorado to participate in a local area network (LAN) tournament where players compete on the same physical network. They participated in a tournament called “Siege Showdown.”

“They competed against semi-pro level and other collegiate teams there,” he added.

Any full-time A-State student is eligible to participate in the Esports team.

“All skills are encouraged to attend tryouts, as rank often does not equal skills within a game. Not to mention, once you are on a team, you will participate in practices and work on improving with teammates. We have seen low-rank players play huge roles on some championship games,” Belk continued.

The A-State Esports team has won several other championships, including the 2022 League of Legends, where they won a divisional championship.

Other games the team participates in including: Valorant, League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Fortnite, Splatoon, Super Smash Brothers, Counterstrike, and Marvel Rivals.

A Red Deer school’s Esports team has won a provincial championship.

St. Patrick’s Community School’s Rocket League team, the St. Patrick’s Celtics, captured the Alberta Esports Division 2 Championship at the Alberta Esports Championship, which was held at the Bow Valley College Esports Arena in Calgary from May 10-11.

The Alberta Esports Championship is recognized as Canada’s largest scholastic Esports tournament. The event brings together junior high and high school students from across the province to compete live in popular Esports titles, including Rocket League, VALORANT and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

“It has been incredible to watch the Rocket League team grow over the past few years—not just as athletes, but as individuals,” said Michael Saretzky, head coach of the St. Patrick’s Esports team.

“Ending the year with a win makes it even more special, especially as many of our players move on to new schools next year. With just one returning player, it marks both a celebration and a new beginning for the team. Competing at a post-secondary institution like Bow Valley College was a unique and inspiring experience. It gave our players a glimpse into the future and the real opportunities that Esports can provide.”

Assistant Coach Keith Davis echoed this sentiment: “As both coach and teacher, I’ve watched these young competitors grow—not just in skill, but in character. Through every match, win or lose, they’ve learned resilience, teamwork, and self-belief. Esports isn’t just about the game; it’s about unlocking the potential within, and this tournament was their proving ground. What they’ve gained goes far beyond the screen—it’s experience, confidence, and the courage to keep levelling up in life.”

St. Patrick’s Community School Principal Mandy Reed called the Celtics’ win a testament to the team’s hard work, strategic thinking, and collaborative spirit.

“We are incredibly proud of our St. Patrick’s Celtics Rocket League team for their winning the provincial championship,” said Reed.

“Esports provides our students with valuable opportunities to demonstrate teamwork, problem-solving skills, and sportsmanship, and we are thrilled to see their dedication rewarded on such a significant stage.”

St. Patrick’s also sent six players from Grades 6-8 to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament, which drew competitors from Grades 6-12. While the St. Patrick’s players weren’t victorious, one of the school’s players reached the top 32.

Public Employees Credit Union and esports platform PlayVS are partnering to bring competitive gaming opportunities to schools across Central Texas at no cost. The initiative is designed to use esports as a platform for developing skills, building leadership, and creating future academic and career pathways.

The collaboration was sparked when PlayVS sought out organizations committed to youth development, making PECU a natural fit.

“We were looking for an entity that could help us support the cost of participation for schools in Austin ISD and in Travis County,” said Veronica Sander, PlayVS’ head of strategic partnerships. “PECU stepped up to that, so now we have an opportunity to make that experience available to those students.”

A spike in participation

The impact of the partnership has been immediate. Participation in Central Texas esports has surged in the past year, with the number of participating schools growing by 265%. This increase reflects the expanding recognition that esports is more than just a game.

“By participating in their esports club or team, players have an opportunity to increase their leadership skills, communication skills and their mental well-being,” Sander said. “We find that kids are able to connect with peers and create a community. They have a real sense of belonging inside their scholastic ecosystem.”

Supporting schools

PlayVS also provides schools with guidance to build successful programs.

“If [a school] has no idea what esports is, and a kid comes to them and asks for help [to start a team], or if [a teacher] is a gamer themself, and they want to create this opportunity for students, we can help them,” Sander said.

Commitment to financial education

PECU is supporting students beyond the field as well, offering free access to Zogo, a top rated financial education app, as part of its involvement.

“​​Zogo has frequently been the No. 1 rated financial education app. PECU makes it free to everyone in the community, whether they’re PECU members or not,” PECU Vice President of Marketing Scott Murphy said. “People can learn about financial education through gamified bite-sized online modules. They earn points for each module, plus they can later cash in their points for online gift cards from their favorite brands such as Amazon, GameStop, Apple, Starbucks, Walmart and Target. What’s more, PECU offers a free account at the credit union for all area esports coaches and players.”

Understanding esports

As esports grows in popularity, both PECU and PlayVS stress the importance of community understanding and education. They encourage parents and educators to see the value beyond the screen.

“Take an opportunity to learn about the games, the ecosystem and the coaches,” Sander said. “If you can equate the participation in esports to a more traditional sport, [you’ll] understand that the values of teamwork, communication and leadership are garnered across it.”

Together, PECU and PlayVS are helping students discover new opportunities for growth and success in the digital age.

To inquire about your school’s participation, contact [email protected].

The above story was produced by Multi Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact’s Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their “sponsored content” purchase through our advertising team.

What was Fullerton School District’s FSD Fest? It was something you had to experience to truly believe. This award-winning, free, and family-friendly fun took place in the heart of Cal State Fullerton at the Titan Student Union (800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831) on Friday, May 16, and Saturday, May 17. Attendees got an up-close look at the creative, hands-on learning experiences that happened across all 20 FSD school campuses.

FSD Fest wasn’t your average school event—it was a multifaceted, immersive experience where students took ownership of their learning, proudly shared their passions with the world, and put on wide display the fun found in learning. From student filmmakers, robotics engineers, Esports competitors, dynamic TED-Talk-style speakers, young literacy champions, artists, and more, spanning an age range from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade, every corner of FSD Fest brimmed with innovation and inspiration. It was recently recognized with a Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association, and this two-day educational festival offered a vivid showcase of student voice and engagement.

“FSD Fest was where we celebrated students’ passion for learning both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Jeremy Davis, FSD Assistant Superintendent of Innovation and Instructional Support.

“You saw 6-year-olds screening documentaries, 10-year-olds giving talks on investing, and 400 12-year-olds rocking Esports, with each student discovering the power of their voice.”

Featuring more than 10 distinct events across two days, ranging from live performances to interactive art, STEM exhibits to TED-style student talks, and a multi-category film festival, FSD Fest blended the energy of a school carnival with the polish of a professional conference. Every school in the district participated in booth exhibits in the Innovation Experience. This showcase of school-site achievements included entrepreneurial learning in transitional kindergarten using puppetry, robust cultural learning experiences, and much more.

FSD Fest continued to turn up the excitement that year with new features designed to engage the entire family. Among the additions:
A brand-new escape room experience, themed around the district-wide “World of Wisdom” literacy challenge and starring characters from its beloved universe, and the chance to win Barnes & Noble gift cards.
Dedicated parent learning sessions, designed to support family engagement.

A feature added the previous year to the experience was the presence of high school students and programs from the Fullerton Joint Union High School District, who returned that year to showcase what FSD students had to look forward to after they were promoted from the eighth grade. A new group of talented young artists was also showcased in the “Wonder of Water” art exhibit, which highlighted themes of natural resource conservation and environmental sustainability.

For many students, FSD Fest also provided their first glimpse at college life. As they entered the halls of CSUF, students were welcomed into an environment filled with colorful lights, hands-on exploration, and cheers from event staff, underscoring the excitement of lifelong learning.

“We wanted every child to feel seen and valued, and every parent to walk away inspired for their child’s future,” added Davis.

“FSD Fest was about creating that magic moment when a student realized, ‘I belong here. My ideas matter.’”

For more information about FSD Fest and this year’s schedule of events, please visit bit.ly/FSDFEST.

The Fullerton School District (FSD) is located in northern Orange County, California, and serves over 11,400 students in transitional kindergarten (TK) through eighth grade. FSD was home to 15 elementary schools, two TK through eighth-grade schools, three junior high schools, and a distance learning and home school program. FSD featured unique programs for students, including a Dual Language Academy for Spanish and Korean languages; a Performance Academy Sports Program that offered a traditional in-person learning experience with time for advanced athletic training integrated into the school day; and robust before, after, and summer school programs. FSD also offered a middle college program, where students could earn college credits and sit for advanced placement (AP) exams administered by the College Board. Additionally, fine arts and performing arts opportunities were available on all 20 campuses. The mission of the Fullerton School District was to work collaboratively with the community to provide an innovative, high-quality educational experience for all students in a safe learning environment. FSD’s motto, “Great Schools – Successful Kids,” signified that all FSD students were valued and encouraged to achieve their fullest potential.

Related

Posted in: eSports, Games, Video Games | Tagged: DreamHack, ESL FACEIT Group, Red Bull

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Red Bull has signed on to be the official energy drink sponsor for all DreamHack events for the next few years, starting with Dallas

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Further cementing themselves into esports culture, Red Bull and ESL FACEIT Group have come together to make them the official energy drink partner for DreamHack. And not just the upcoming one in Dallas, they’re going to be working with them moving forward for a few years as a sponsor across every DreamHack event. The company has already been a major part of several tournaments that they run across multiple games, as well as sponsoring other events as one of many partners, so seeing them joining up with DreamHack makes a lot of sense (and we’re kind of surprised it didn’t happen sooner). We have more details about the partnership below as DreamHack Dallas takes place from May 23-25 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Cente.

DreamHack x Red Bull

Red Bull, a longstanding supporter of sports, esports, and gaming, will bring its signature high-energy atmosphere to all DreamHack Festivals. Attendees can look forward to immersive Red Bull booth activations featuring free samples of their popular flavors. A highlight of DreamHack Dallas will be the Red Bull Home Ground US Qualifier, showcasing two elite VALORANT teams competing for the championship title. Qualifiers will be held online, starting on May 16, with the top two teams being flown to DreamHack Dallas to play the grand finals live on stage, on Sunday May 25. Registration for the online qualifier is still open now, and you can sign up at Battlefy.com/RBHGUS.

“We are thrilled to welcome Red Bull as the Official Energy Drink Partner of DreamHack Festivals,” said Jasmin Haasbech, VP Global Brand Partnerships at ESL FACEIT Group. “Red Bull’s unparalleled ability to create engaging environments will undoubtedly amplify the festival experience. The Red Bull Home Ground tournament is a major attraction for our community, and witnessing the Valorant finals live on the Main Stage will be an unforgettable spectacle.”

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