Three members of North Tama eSports high school team including (l-r) Nic Hinrichs, Jaxen Daniels, and Landon Kucera assisted their coach Levi LaRue (far left) with a presentation to members of the school board on Monday, March 21, during the board’s regular meeting. As part of the presentation, LaRue provided background on the new program which began during the 2020-2021 school year while also giving a review of the team’s accomplishments this school year. During the first year of North Tama’s program, 18 students participated in the spring 2021 season playing eight separate games. Last May, the program joined the Iowa High School Esports Association (IAHSEA) and began practicing over the summer. The IAHSEA began with a beta season in the fall of 2019, running its first official season in Spring 2020 until COVID-19 ended the season prematurely. The first full length IAHSEA season occurred during the 2020-2021 school year. LaRue shared that 15 percent of the North Tama student body has participated in some capacity in the eSports program this school year — 84 percent of those students did not go out for any traditional sport. LaRue also told the board he has observed an uptick in grades and in attendance in those students who are currently participating in eSports compared to those who are not playing eSports for a season. During the fall season this year, North Tama’s team – which was ranked fifth – made the playoffs but lost in the first round to the eventual champions, Linn-Mar High School. Last week, LaRue started practice for the new grades 5-8 North Tama eSports team which boasts 18 students on its roster. -Photo by Ruby F. Bodeker