“Our expansion to middle schools will help empower a new generation of students through teamwork, skill development and a sense of community.”
Scholastic esports platform PlayVS has announced its expansion to middle schools across the U.S. This expansion will kick off this fall.
PlayVS expands to middle schools
PlayVS' mission is to promote gaming's positive impacts on students. The expansion to U.S. middle schools for the fall 2024 season will align with this goal. This expansion will more than double the platform's potential reach as well. "Now, more than 68,000 total schools in the U.S. can offer esports programs to their students," according to an official announcement.
The middle school esports leagues will feature two-week preseasons alongside an 11-week regular season. Competitors will then duke it out across three months. At the end of the season, the win-loss record will be everyone's proof of performance.
"PlayVS, which is COPPA compliant, will initially limit registration to students 13 and over," the announcement added. In the spring, the platform will launch a registration portal for parents and open registration to middle school students.
PlayVS and scholastic esports
Additionally, according to the platform's Fall 2023 Mid-Season Survey of Active Coaches, 90% of esports coaches saw improvements in socialization because of competitive gaming. Meanwhile, 74% of coaches saw improvements in mental health plus a positive outlook on life.
Survey findings
- 60% say they’ve seen improvement in grades or attendance among players
- 76% of children playing video games
- 90% of esports coaches see improvements in student socialization
- 74% of coaches see improvements in mental health and positive life outlook
"Being part of a team is one of the most valuable things you can do during your formative years as a student,” PlayVS CEO Jon Chapman said. “We already see the incredible benefits of esports at the varsity level, be it as simple as increasing participation in an after-school activity, or as powerful as inspiring students to become game designers or pursue STEM careers. Our expansion to middle schools will help empower a new generation of students through teamwork, skill development and a sense of community.”
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