Everyone knows the feeling of playing a competitive video game – the exhilarating highs, the crushing lows. And while some may see them as nothing more than immature and a negative influence on teens, Dighton-Rehoboth’s new E-Sports team seeks to challenge that view and show their benefits through healthy competition between schools.

The  E-Sports team will join the MSAA-approved PlayVS league, playing against nearby schools in online multiplayer games. The two games offered are Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, both for the Nintendo Switch. Game consoles will be provided by the organizers. They will meet in the Media Center on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 to 4:30, playing Smash on Wednesdays and Mario Kart on Thursdays. Unlike other sports DR offers, players are not required to travel for matches, as they will be played online.

Jolie Streeter and Christian Tavares are the coaches for the E-Sports team. Both have extensive video game experience, with Tavares in particular playing competitive Super Smash Bros. at Bridgewater State University.

The team also prides itself on personal growth and development through healthy competition. “Our E-Sports program,” they stated in a general overview, “is designed to promote a team culture centered on positivity, responsibility, and good sportsmanship, both in-game and online.”

Dighton-Rehoboth’s E-Sports team will have their first meet on Wednesday, February 4, where they will play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. They are still open to anyone hoping to sign up as of this article’s release.