According to data from an ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, playing video games may be associated with better cognitive performance in children. This data combined with what we know about the benefits of competition lead us to believe that an Esports team would reach a specific audience of the young people in our community. The gaming and competition is second to what the students will learn about themselves and their place in the world. Our main goal with this program is to holistically enrich the lives of our students, teaching them leadership skills, self-control, mindfulness, sportsmanship, social/emotional intelligence, and more. During this stage of their lives, having a mentor in their corner is critical, so our coaches will not only be knowledgeable about Esports, but also have the tools to lead our students through adolescence. 

We've built an Esports arena within our administrative building: 10521 Blue Ridge Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64134. Students will need consistent transportation to and from the building. There is parking available in the back and the front. Parents would be welcome to drop off or wait for their student in the parking lot. There will always be a minimum of two adults in the building during meeting times. All adults have completed a background check. 

Each athlete will have their own professional gaming computer to play on at the Bridge building. Each gaming setup will include everything they need to compete: headset, gaming mouse/keyboard, gaming chair/desk, HD gaming monitor, and a G515 gaming PC tower. 

As we start up the program, we will focus on defining the games we will play and compete in, based on our athletes interests. Games that are rated M for Mature will be excluded from our program. From there, we will attend amateur/low-stakes competitions to give our athletes experience. We hope to be officially competing in local/regional competitions by the Fall of 2024.