E-Sports Club Debates Inclusion In Athletics

by Annabelle BransfordSeptember 5, 2025

E-Sports Club Debates Inclusion In Athletics

Last Tuesday, the newly formed Memorial High E-Sports Club petitioned the athletics department to officially recognize competitive gaming as a varsity sport. Club president Malik R. presented a detailed proposal–complete with projected brackets for Rocket League and Smash Bros. tournaments, bios of top-ranked players, and cost estimates for custom gaming stations in the gym lobby.

Coach Ramirez, acting as athletics liaison, voiced cautious optimism: “These students train just as hard as any athlete–they just need better ergonomic chairs, not cleats.” He suggested a pilot program this spring, pairing E-Sports matches with livestreamed pep rallies to gauge student and community response.

The student body weighed in through an online poll: 72% supported varsity status, citing teamwork, strategy, and quick reflexes as on-par with any field sport. Traditional athletic teams offered mixed feedback–some cited competitive spirit, while others worried about screen time and concession revenues.

The school board will vote next month on a two-semester trial granting E-Sports access to the athletic budget, locker rooms repurposed as “gaming booths,” and eligibility for varsity letters. Meanwhile, Robotics Club members volunteer to build ergonomic “Maverick Controllers” for the pilot, ensuring every player competes in style–and that Memorial High’s definition of “athlete” truly levels up.

Annabelle Bransford

Hi, I’m Annabelle Bransford, Memorial High School’s unofficial satirist-in-residence and proud founder of The Daily Detention—a publication so edgy it’s been banned twice and resurrected three times, like a sassy phoenix with a flair for detention slips. I write satire because someone has to hold the line between cafeteria chaos and gym class tyranny. Whether I’m exposing the secret emotional feud between our Algebra teacher and Euclid, or investigating why the pep rally feels like an ancient ritual sacrifice, I try to speak truth to hallway power. Sure, I’ve been called “disruptive,” but mostly by people who wear lanyards unironically. My work has been read by at least two janitors, my entire AP English class, and one substitute teacher who thought it was a cry for help. I consider that range. When I’m not sharpening my wit, I’m dodging group projects, winning banned book club trivia, or mentoring the school's AI Isn’t Funny Club (membership: just me and 17 bots I’ve emotionally manipulated). I’m also a National Merit Semi-Finalist, certified eye-roller at Student Government meetings, and the only girl in school who’s been accused of “weaponizing irony.” My goals? Keep writing, keep laughing, and one day publish a satirical exposé called Yearbook Superlatives and Other Lies. If you want something sugarcoated, try the bake sale. If you want the truth with a punchline, I’m your girl. I've landed a sweet job at Bohiney Magazine, so don't bother me. EMAIL: annabelle@bohiney.com

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