The Building Blocks of an Educational Esports League Lessons from Year One in Orange County High Schools

In the 2017-2018 school year, 38 student teams from 25 high schools across Orange County, California, competed in weekly tournament play of the multiplayer arena battle video game League of Legends, culminating in a championship playoff in one of the first region-wide high school esports leagues in the US. Our team performed a formative evaluation of this League's first year, with special attention to logistical concerns as well as any potential alignments between esports and learning. Our team engaged student League players (n=39) and teachers (n=11) who managed their school's teams in focus groups and observation at six schools; we conducted focus groups with experienced player-coaches (n=5) who supported teams, and one-on-one interviews with parents (n=10). The paper identifies organic learning opportunities during league play such as critical analysis, communication, research skills, and social emotional learning; techniques to clearing administrative hurdles; and structural socioeconomic equity issues that the leadership team may not have anticipated. The paper incorporates recommendations for these areas and critically situates them for future deployment with attention to maximizing learning potential with equity and access for all.