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Brookings launches sanctioned high school esports program; students qualify for state events
Summary
Brookings presented the first sanctioned season of its high school esports program, describing equipment, team structure, student participation and initial competition results including state qualifiers.
Brookings School District reported the conclusion of its inaugural sanctioned high‑school esports season and described plans for program expansion at the April 22 school board meeting.
Brad Newpin, who organized the program this year, told the board the South Dakota High School Activities Association sanctioned esports this year and Brookings fielded teams across multiple games. Newpin said initial interest exceeded 40 students, and the program used a mix of repurposed lab computers and new gaming machines built by school staff to make play possible.
Newpin described hardware and setup details: the program started using older Project Lead The Way computers for lower‑graphics games, then added six dedicated gaming PCs built by district staff, two Nintendo Switch consoles, gaming mice and keyboards and donated gaming chairs supplied through a local business. He said the district ran weekly inter‑school competitions through a third‑party platform and hosted two nights of activity most weeks so students could practice and compete in games such as chess, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Minecraft Bed Wars and Rocket League.
Newpin said equipment limits and per‑student participation fees set practical team sizes: for example, Rocket League plays three‑player teams, while some games are four‑person teams; Mario Kart used the two Switch consoles. He also said the district secured at least one community sponsor (name not specified in the transcript) and planned to seek additional sponsorships as the program grows.
The program had early competitive results: on Feb. 14, Brookings sent qualifiers to an Aberdeen tournament; one student who competed in chess placed third in the state tournament, and multiple Mario Kart teams and chess competitors advanced from regional play. Newpin said the room has become a regular student gathering space during lunch and after school and that the program provided a place for students who might not participate in other extracurriculars.
Board members asked about roster limits and costs. Newpin said limits depend on equipment and on how many student participation fees the district chooses to pay; chess was lower‑cost because it requires no specialized consoles. The board did not take formal action on the presentation.
