In 2017, BHS was approached by an organization with the hopes of starting the foundations of an Esports team. In order to compete, BHS would have to assemble a team in a limited amount of time. Unfortunately, BHS failed to meet this quota, sealing away the possibility of a competitive gaming club.
However, at the time sophomore Cameron Clapp would not let the chance slip away. By merging the few members he had gathered for Esports with a club known as the Tabletop Gaming Club, Clapp founded BHS Esports in 2018. The club would share a room with the Tabletop Gaming Club, opting to play using laptops that struggled to run the games.
Esports would slowly start to gain traction until enough players joined, allowing the club to participate in competitive matches with other district high schools. Time previously spent playing at school would pivot toward VOD (video/game highlights) reviews and team/strategy discussions. After a more serious outlook on gaming began to form, Clapp decided to split the Esports and Tabletop Gaming clubs into two respective clubs. Clapp would find a sponsor and as a result, officially form the Esports club.
Although the club had officially formed, Esports was limited to only playing League of Legends, having to contend with other schools such as Hickman or Rockbridge due to being stuck within their own district. However, this didn’t slow Esports’ traction, as the club would quickly rise to roughly 100 members in 2020. This was more than Clapp had bargained for, and as a result, he let the club do its own thing.
“I stepped back because there were way too many people. I did not expect it to get this big.”
Immediately after Clapp graduated, the current head coach Stefan Sheffield would take over the club. Sheffield had high ambitions for the club, aiming for the back-then non-competitive club to rise to the state level.
“It’s about teaching everyone how to play the game together in a competitive way, and how organized play works.”
Sheffield’s efforts would not go in vain, as soon after his employment, BHS would be invited to compete under MOSEF (Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation). The then limited range of games would expand, resembling the present-day roster of Overwatch, Rocket League, Valorant, League of Legends, and Super Smash Bros.
Going forward, Sheffield would aim to focus more on teaching new players and maintaining a positive win ratio for Varsity teams. His number one objective was player growth, allowing all players to improve their skills over the next couple of years.
Present-day Esports still maintains that goal, allowing JV players to compete against similarly skilled JV players from other respective schools. The club also allows higher-skilled Varsity players to attempt to reach the state and regional level to prove themselves.
For the first time, Esports has a designated room and is run by both Sheffield and now assistant coach Clapp. The two hope to take BHS Esports to new heights and aspire to reach the state playoffs.
“I have high hopes that we can do it,” said Clapp.