Leadership Through Gaming With Online High School Esports Programs

By: Madison B., 12th grade student and SAC intern

Meet Madison, a leader at her K12-powered high school esports program.

I get told quite often that I’m not the first thought that comes up when someone says, “esports leader.” Despite that, here I am! There’s a lot about me that I could write about, but I’ll keep it short and sweet. A little fun fact about me is that I’m an artist and an animator. I’ve been with my K12-powered school for four years and a competitive player for my high school esports program for three.

I’m also a part of this year’s K12 Student Advisory Council (SAC), helping create content for their marketing department, and as a career and college prep student, which helped me graduate from high school a year early.

What is esports and competitive gaming with K12?

Esports is a broad field that incorporates video games where players can compete against each other. At K12, it gives students social benefits, including team building, leadership skills, and the ability to find a community of peers who share similar interests.  The K12-powered esports league also provides students with opportunities to further their success after high school, offering chances to earn scholarships and awards for their hard work in their teams.

You may be thinking, what if I don’t play video games? Well, did you know the K12 esports league includes chess as one of the games that students can compete in? All of the games that we play are free and available on most platforms. Besides that, high school esports programs are open to students from all backgrounds. We have some serious gamers, and then also folks who are brand new to gaming. A lot of my peers play non-competitively because they like to watch and support their team’s players, or simply because they have an interest in esports.

The K12 esports league is open to both console and keyboard/mouse players. This means that students can play on multiple platforms. For example, I started playing on a Nintendo before switching to a keyboard and mouse.

Gaining Leadership Skills through Esports

At first, I myself never had an interest in being a captain for my team until I was actually there getting used to the feel of being a team member for my school’s esports program. I was entrusted to lead multiple teams in my high school esports program. I started off leading my school’s junior varsity Fortnite team and later became a leader and co-leader for two squads on the varsity Fortnite team. Being a leader is hard work, especially when you’re a student with so much going on in life. However, I would never have become a leader if it weren’t for my K12-powered school and the opportunities it provided me.

My biggest takeaway from the leadership experience is learning the skills that make a person a good leader. The people on my team were more than just my teammates; they were my friends and my community members. Being a leader, no matter if you’re leading an esports team or a project at your job, means that your success is dependent on the success of your team. I wouldn’t say I’m particularly super good at the games I play; instead, I help my teammates be really good at the games we play.

What gave me leadership development was sitting down to interact and utilize the social benefits that being part of the K12 esports league provided. I became someone who was very talkative during esports practices, someone who spoke their mind and who encouraged others to be themselves. I learned valuable skills, including cooperation, problem-solving, communication, and compassion. Although these skills may not seem useful in the gaming world, they’re what helped me grow my leadership skills that will benefit me throughout life.

The Esports Schedule With K12

There is a lot of socializing that goes into gaming as an extracurricular activity. Similar to typical sports, students in a high school esports program meet every week for practice and have “seasons” where they participate in competitive matches against students from other K12-powered schools. I was a very shy student when I entered my high school’s esports league. Some people join theatre to break out of their shell, but I joined esports instead. K12 has a lot of extracurricular and club options, so there’s something for every student, if you’re not into competitive gaming. I’m now extremely social and have no problem making new friends, no matter where I am, all because I chose competitive gaming as my extracurricular.

You or your parent may wonder if participating in an extracurricular to play video games weekly is worth the time. After all, is it just playing video games? Well, my mom thought about this too!

Joining a student esports team is more than simply playing video games. It’s about preparing students to have people who rely on them and people who they can rely on, teaching students to find a balance between having fun and being serious, and, most importantly, teaching students that they aren’t alone.

All of the coaches at my high school esports program are also counselors and teachers at my K12-powered school. So, rest assured, they always prioritized me and my peers’ mental health and school responsibilities. Being part of a team kept me even more accountable for my grades because I always wanted to be sure I was doing well in my academics to be available for my teammates. If it wasn’t for being a part of my school’s competitive gaming, I wonder if I would have ever graduated with straight As or pursued graduating a year early as I did now.

Ready to play on a student esports team yourself?

No matter your level in gaming and socializing, joining an esports program with K12 can be a great choice for you. My high school esports program not only helped me grow as a student but also as a person. My best memories from high school will always come from the experiences I had as a leader for my team. Find an esports team near you and start playing today.

Madison is a 2025 student based in TX attending a K12-powered private school, and their statement reflects their experience at their school.