In 2019, KHSAA officially recognized esports as a scholastic sport in Kentucky. Immediately Derek Vaske, science teacher and current esports coach, thought that it was an awesome way to get kids involved in sports that don’t necessarily like traditional athletics.
He originally coached for Owen County, but took over the position at Boone when he came here to teach last year.
The Boone esports team will be starting another season in the spring. Some games allow players to compete in the comfort of their own home, while others require in-person presence.
The fall season already took place in September, and the second will be taking place at the end of January and will extend into spring.
The team currently competes in Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, Madden, NBA 2K, Splatoon 3, and chess.
However this spring, the team will be competing for the first time since 2022 in Rocket League and hopes to be competing in Street Fighter as well.
If enough students join esports to create a full team, they’re able to compete in Hearthstone and League of Legends. For this reason, they are always looking for and accepting new members on the team.
“We are a young team that is still developing, so I think we will be moving up our standings for the following seasons to come,” Vaske said.
Vaske has experience with winning in state competitions, as his Owen County team was a quarterfinalist at the University of Kentucky in the Rocket League game.
Vaske knows what it takes to reach the state level, and it is more than just a casual interest in gaming.
“One-hundred percent work ethic and mindset are the most important things to me, as a coach, to see in a player, especially in scholastic sports,” Vaske said.
Balancing individual skill and team dynamic is a game-by-game challenge in esports.
Some games are played in a solo format, like Madden or 2K, and other games are played with an opponent, like Chess and Street Fighter. Both require individual skill development to stay in contention during competition.
Vaske has seen students rewarded for their hard work.
Freshman Christian Riley, who came to play for Boone last year as an eighth grader, went from being ranked 74th in Mario Kart in the spring of 2024, to 56th this past season.
Vaske is looking to build on Riley’s success with more students, and he knows that process will include ups and downs.
“There will be wins and losses, sometimes more losses than wins, but just take the time to be mindful and reflect on how you are improving your gameplay and building relationships with your teammates,” Vaske said.
“This is just a game, we are here to play, have fun, and personally improve.”
Amanda Banasco contributed to the completion of this story.
