It’s seven in the morning, and the hallway from door 12 into the Cannon Falls High School is deathly quiet. There are no people around, but one thing populates the halls: trophies. Shelves of them, filled to the brim, dominate the south wall of the hallway. Among them are awards for soccer, dance, football, and more. But, one activity is missing. While it may not be obvious, the trophy cases are lacking esports, which conveniently just started this year, so it won’t be missing representation for long. The Cannon Falls Esports team is now in action.
The Cannon Falls Esports team is a member of the Minnesota Varsity League, which according to their website, mnvl.org, is the “home for Minnesota scholastic esports.” It also contains information on how to sign up and what games are offered, which include Valorant, Fortnite, Minecraft, and League of Legends. There are two Esports “seasons,” Fall and Spring. So, some games are also season-specific, like League of Legends in the Fall season. For information specific to Cannon Falls Esports, Amy Dombeck is a coach for the team. She said practices are mainly held online, as that is how meets are done. The team is currently made up of 7 middle schoolers who are playing at the high school level. Dombeck hopes to grow the club into a separate middle school and high school team because that is how MNVL is organized, but for now, she is “grateful for the students who showed up” for the team’s inaugural season.
However, esports is very different from many other activities. It isn’t an athletic sport or an academic activity. What it does have in common with the other extracurriculars is that it allows someone who enjoys something to do it with others. It also revolves around a popular pastime: video games. That was a pull factor for Kaidan Hall, who said he joined, “‘Cause I like gaming.” Dombeck had her own reasons for starting the esports team. “Last November [2023], I attended a meeting with other technology staff in different schools,” she said, and, “heard about esports being offered.” All the staff were “trying to grow it [esports] into a southeastern Minnesota thing.” So, the idea for the Cannon Falls Esports team was born. Dombeck went on to comment about giving students who may not be as interested in other extracurriculars another opportunity to participate in school activities.
Right now, the team is just getting started. The registration period closed on February 14, and the preseason ends on March 3, according to the MNVL. After that, the regular season goes until April 28. If Cannon Falls qualifies for the postseason, State Finals go from May 16 to May 19. These finals are both recorded and live-streamed on Discord, so viewing schedules are flexible. However, they are held in person and can be viewed as such, which Mrs. Dombeck did at the Mall of America. As far as etiquette goes, the MNVL holds its players to “positive and inclusive” standards to ensure a fun and fair experience for all competitors.
So, while the Cannon Falls Esports team is only in its first year, it is looking strong, with the same participation numbers as the High School Math League. As it continues to grow, so will its skill and its chance at securing a championship title. Soon, the Cannon Falls Esports team will take their spot among the other awards in the trophy case.
