Lake Anna Connections

wolfhomeproducts.com wolfhomeproducts.com 138 West Street Louisa, VA 23093 540-967-0026 www.jspurcell.com AVAILABLE AT: “Esports is simply an electronic competition with some of the most popular video games in the world,” said Jacob Sarmiento, Louisa County High School’s head coach. “The goal is to field the best team in the world.” But, the program is much more than just kids sitting inadarkened roomwithacontroller in their hands trying to beat each other. “With the amount of video games out today, there are competitions that focus on everything from one-to-one style matches to team-based competitions,” Sarmiento said. “At the high school we only have team- based competitions.” The Esports program focuses on three of the most popular games: Rocket League, Smite, and League of Legends. Smite and League of Legends both feature five-person teams, while Rocket League requires three people. Practices are held Monday through Thursday in what is typically considered the “winter and spring” sports seasons, al- though Sarmiento said planning begins as soon as school starts with “conditioning” in September and practice in October. Louisa County High School junior Adrian Patterson was part of last year’s pilot pro- gram as a sophomore, joining because of his love of video games. “My favorite part of the program was be- ing able to find a new game that I love and can play with my friends,” he said. “I also learned how to cooperate with a team that I could trust while playing in competitions.” The school has computers specifically for use by the Esports teams designed to provide the highest and best equipment for game play. But, practices are more than just playing video games. There is a set time for in-game play as well as a time of coaching LAKE ANNA CONNECTIONS | FALL |WINTER 2020 63