Students can develop and explore career skills through NASEF's Spring 2023 Beyond the Game™ Challenge Series. NASEF continues to underscore its commitment to true scholastic esports by offering student competition in skills beyond esports and video games. 

Many students love the idea of pursuing pathways in video and broadcast production and streaming. This Spring, the BTG challenges center around these popular pursuits. Plus, an online course to help students, coaches, program directors and educators learn how to do that production work is being made available free. All challenges are open to students around the world and free to enter! 

Challenge 1 – Produce a Why We Play Documentary 

Bring us into the program, interview your teammates and coaches, tell us why you show up every day. A video documentary is one of the most powerful ways to share your story. The content and format is up to you, the only thing that matters you tell us, in your words: the story of Why We Play.

Need some inspiration? No problem! Here are a few prompts to get you started and some entries to get you thinking. View 2022 Submissions Ask yourself why you want to make a documentary for your program, about broadcasting, or about shoutcasting: Is it to become more visible? To highlight your team’s success? Educate your school community, parents, admin? Or is your program unique and you want to share that special “something” that sets you apart? Is there a mission statement, personal goal, or experience that you believe in and want to share? Tell us about it in your video! 

Challenge 2 – Production/Behind The Scenes

Students who are interested in or are already producing and broadcasting for your program, we want to hear directly from you, why do you do it? Tell us what it means for you to be behind the scenes to make your program visible. Take us there, show us what you do, and what it’s like to make it all come together. You’ll submit a link to a reel so we can see you in action.

Challenge 3 – On-Air Talent & Shoutcasting Reels

For the casters, this one is for you. We’re challenging you to make a casting reel and show us your chops, how you got there, and where you are headed. What is it about being in front of the camera that you love? Is it the action? The stats? Just being there for the key moments and memories? Tell us, why do you cast? For this event, you’ll submit a link to a reel.

Free Beta Access to Online Broadcasting & Shoutcasting Academy

To help students and educators prepare for challenges 2 and 3, we are providing free beta access to an upcoming online course to help you get started. Learn with Cooper Fiscus-van Rossum, Commissioner of the Georgia Esports League, Adjunct Professor of Esports for the Georgia Film Academy, and Former High School Esports Program Director. Three levels of detail are provided, for Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced. Sign up for the free course today! https://academy.skillshot.com/offers/338dD3WB/checkout 

Prizes and Partners 

All qualifying submissions will be entered in a raffle for a $400 school grant! Selected videos will even be played on an international stage at the 2023 Esports Summit for professionals in esports business and education.

Educators are encouraged to engage students in these free events. It’s easy to Join NASEF to start a local club, then it’s free to register for Beyond the Game challenges, tournaments, scholarship opportunities, and more. See the Beyond the Game challenge page for all the details: https://www.nasef.org/btg-challenges

This Beyond the Game series is presented by NASEF and the PHNX Gaming Foundation, as well as partners at Skillshot Media, Ghost Gaming, and Coach Rivals.