Fenworks South Dakota Esports

Gaming in a structured environment provides a level of gaming experience for our students that incorporates the social, the communication piece,...the team based fundamentals of gaming that you don't necessarily get when you play at home.

Research suggests that in the next five years, 60% of jobs in the world will require tech skills. So where do you get those skills? Some of that comes through esports, which entails not just the analysis, the cognitive thinking, and technical skill, but also the networking and teamwork that occurs online. These are essential skills!

I really noticed it was a way for my kids to show their school spirit and school pride in a way that was along with or instead of traditional sports.

It just gives kids that are in esports maybe an avenue to escape, sit down, focus, and meet a bunch of people with similar interests. Anything like that has to be positive and good for mental health.

I know many of the people that work with Fenworks, and I have faith in the individuals who lead Fenworks... They are running a program that’s not just about video games. That’s the vehicle through which they’re trying to provide an opportunity for students to learn teamwork, collaboration skills, and responsibility.

Fenworks gave an opportunity to those kids who don’t always want to be in football, basketball, baseball—the sports that most high schools have. It’s something different for them.

The amount of money to provide esports through Fenworks is miniscule compared to some of the programs schools already run... Why wouldn’t we want to provide that to another group, especially for the low cost?

It's not just about playing video games; it's about learning new things, learning about technology, and all of the other things that go along with technology.