BIXBY, Okla. — The world of esports continues to grow. Some students even get college scholarships to play.
"This is not a bunch of kids huddled in the dark playing hours and hours, and not socializing," Bixby esports head coach Matthew Strait said.
Some may still view playing video games as an individual activity. Instead, it's all about the team.
"It is absolutely a team effort," Bixby senior Alexis Burton said. "One person can't just solo the whole lobby."
In Bixby, the Spartans esports team competes in the old high school cafeteria, now an arena, and has around 65 players.
December for esports means playoffs. Over 200 schools in the state are competing in Oklahoma Scholastic Esports, hoping to reach the state tournament at UCO in Edmond.
"It gets the blood pumping, and some people can't handle that," Burton said. "I've lost matches because of that before. It is what it is."
Burton is captain for Bixby's "Marvel Rivals" team, aiming to add another trophy to the Spartans' display.
"I love to play games," Burton said. "I love being able to hang out with my friends and engage in a hobby that I love in an environment where I can do it for school. It's fun."
December 1 kicked off the postseason for "Rivals", along with other games like "Rocket League" and "Fortnite." Those teams, all led by Strait.
"These kids are talking to each other, even when they're not playing," Strait said. "They're constantly talking to each other, and those social skills are being built over and over."
And there are plenty of opportunities for gaming beyond high school, including college scholarships.
"OU, SWOSU, SEOSU, UCO. Those are some of our bigger supporters," Strait said. "There's probably about 15 colleges within Oklahoma who have pretty good programs running."
And despite what your parents told you growing up, you CAN make money playing video games.
"Although streaming is hard to get into, and admittedly largely luck-based, if you do make it big, it's absolutely a lucrative career," Burton said.
Alexis hopes to get a college scholarship to SEOSU in Durant for esports.
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