Clarke Central High School head esports coach Sean Simpson speaks with athletes during tryouts in the CCHS Media Center on Aug. 27. Simpson has found that bolstering the team’s presence started from within. “We’ve got a really strong group returning this year, and they take the game seriously, but they also take the team seriously. Part of what we talk about is that everyone has a role to play, not just in matches but in building this program’s presence on campus,” Simpson said. Photo by David Wang
After holding tryouts on Aug. 27, the CCHS esports team aims for a strong season and to extend its reach in the CCHS community.
Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, the CCHS esports team continues to build momentum, aiming for more wins on the scoreboard and greater recognition in the hallways.
According to head coach Sean Simpson, the program is growing, though challenges remain. At this season’s tryout, held in the CCHS Media Center on Aug. 27, Simpson invited students to join the games and placed them on teams based on their scores to increase recruitment.
“I figured that there wasn’t a lot of acknowledgement that the program exists. 15 students showed up on Wednesday (for the tryout), and that’s the most we’ve ever had,” Simpson said. “We’ve tried to start a booster club, but it’s been hard to get it off the ground. Right now, the challenge is really getting the word out: letting students know our matches are in the Media Center, that they can come watch (and) that we’re streaming on Twitch.”
“(Esports has) helped me with communication. When I first started out, I only knew one person. (So,) being (forced) to communicate with people I hadn’t really talked to before definitely helped, and some of those people I’m actually friends with now.”
— Donte’ Robles-Parrott,
CCHS esports captain and senior
While there is continued debate as to whether esports qualifies as a sport, Simpson says there’s more to sports than physical abilities and esports gives students belonging and purpose.
“To participate and win at a high level, you need collaboration and teamwork. You have to problem-solve, adapt quickly, communicate, show resilience and sportsmanship,” Simpson said. “Personally, esports matters so much to me because I wasn’t engaged at school. I was a loner and made a lot of poor decisions because of it. I often wonder what my life would look like today if I’d had something like esports to build community and confidence.”
CCHS esports captain Donte’ Robles-Parrott, a senior, has matured through participation after three years in the program, going from a backup player to team captain.
“(Esports has) helped me with communication. When I first started out, I only knew one person. (So,) being (forced) to communicate with people I hadn’t really talked to before definitely helped, and some of those people I’m actually friends with now,” Robles-Parrott said.
As esports has been a critical part of Robles-Parrott’s high school journey, he hopes to grow the team’s participation.
“I’d say (it would be good to) have some posters around school. That’s actually how I found out about esports my freshman year. They had a couple up back then, (but) they haven’t really done that recently, so if we bring that back, I think we’d get more players on the team,” Robles-Parrott said.
