PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — Just before Christmas, Pflugerville Parks and Recreation added an Xbox One console to the game room at the Rec Center to encourage gaming and esports.
Recreation Program Coordinator Daulton Mobley said they saw a growth in esports and decided to try something new.
“We just want to try something out to begin with, something small scale," Mobley said. "Measurement of our success, it’s been amazing. We’ve had a lot of kids come up here. I can track how much time the game has been played and the activity."
At Harmony Science Academy - Pflugerville, esports started out as a club in 2017. Now with a full-fledged team, competitions and practices, program sponsor Albert Demarest sees the move by Parks and Rec as adding more legitimacy to the growing activity.
“We are getting to the point where I think people are starting to recognize that it’s a valid and legitimate way to not only teach students, but a way to sort of get together and game in a community," Demarest said.
Demarest said he is excited to see the growth of esports across the country and state of Texas.
For Mobley, it's a way for teens to engage in activity even if they are not the biggest, fastest or strongest of their friends. Esports develop different skills.
“It’s definitely developing communication skills," Mobley said. "As much as it is pressing some buttons, its definitely you’re talking to different people."
In that vein, Parks and Rec did not hook up the Xbox One to the internet, so any people who partake in the activity cannot interact with people over a microphone, but are forced to play with those sitting next to them. Demarest said that's only part of the picture for the benefits of esports.
"We’re teaching students a lot of 21st-century skills from critical thinking, problem solving, and because they’re working in groups they’re learning and getting to practice social and emotional skills like group dynamics, as well as self-reflection and consensus-building," Demarest said.
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The center has NBA 2k20, Madden and Rocket League, but Mobley plans to expand the game selection and potentially the number of screens and systems depending on the popularity.
Mobley already organized the 2k tournament before Christmas and plans to host another tournament in Madden centered around the Superbowl.
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