A GROUP of Willetton Senior High School students have proven video games are not a waste of time, by representing Australia at a prestigious eSports tournament.
The school’s eSports team travelled to Sydney to play New Zealand’s Rangitoto College in the Oceanic Pro League’s High School League of Legends AU and NZ Championship final.
While Willetton, who competed in the popular League of Legends game, were unable to claim the title and lost the best-of-five series 3-0, the school’s head of eSport Jayson Bignoux said the team did not disgrace themselves by any means.
Mr Bignoux said competitive computer games like League of Legends could have a positive influence on teenagers, despite some parents seeing them as negatives.
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READ NOW“The benefit of eSports is to show this can be competitive and that allows people to see what they’re doing is competitive, there is strategy, they’re making friends and learning discipline and teamwork,” he said.
“It’s not just being addicted and playing hours and hours on end, you are learning about leadership, selflessness and you’re not just playing for yourself, you are representing your school, your team and in this case, Australia.
“In terms of the game skill, there’s quick thinking, dexterity, but the team-building is definitely transferable.”