You can sense the excitement within the NASEF office as we prepare for another exciting season of competition! A few questions have been raised while we’ve been in a frenzy to get new high school esports clubs activated and making sure that our existing clubs have all the support they need. We wanted to take a few minutes to make sure that we addressed some of the more frequently asked questions that clubs have regarding NASEF.

“Does My School Have to Play Overwatch (or Any Other Title)?”

One of the best aspects about joining NASEF is that you don’t have to compete using our season’s title game. In fact, you can play whichever game that you’d like!

At NASEF, we wholeheartedly believe in helping our participants can use scholastic esports as a vehicle to enhance their high school education. If your school thinks that another title helps to better achieve that objective, then we’re behind you 100%.

We’ve created over 30 toolkits for our participating clubs so that you can focus on what works best for you.

We’ve designed our participation model around more than just gaming. There’s room for gamers and non-gamers alike within esports, and specifically within NASEF’s model. There’s a place for any student who wants to participate, whether they’re interested in graphic design, video production, cosplay, art, leadership, coaching, or anything else.

“Will NASEF Cause Too Much Trouble for IT?”

Getting started with NASEF is easier than ever before.

If you have a NASEF Club and a competing team on a school campus, you’ll want to coordinate with your site IT department.

We’ve worked with dozens of schools, which means that we’ve worked with dozens of IT departments. When you activate with NASEF, we’ll provide you with easy-to-follow instructions to get your club rolling.

Our talented team will help you and your IT department activate quickly and easily. If you have unique technical needs that your campus is concerned about, please contact us. We’d love to help you find some great solutions.

“Can We Activate if We Don’t Know All the Names of Our Participants?”

You can activate your club even if you don’t know all the names of your participants. Feel free to get your club activated while in the middle of your recruiting process! Among our toolkits, you’ll learn some creative ways to recruit student participants. While you’re recruiting, we’ll work with your club’s General Manager and IT department to ensure that you get set up with everything that you need in order to begin competing as an official NASEF club.

NASEF provides comprehensive training to our club General Managers so that you can be prepared when students join. Our coaching program, clinics, and toolkits are among some of the resources that we have to help clubs get started quickly, even if participants are still being recruited.

“We Missed the Activation Deadline! Are We Out of Luck?”

The school year can be incredibly busy with a ton of activities taking place constantly. If you’ve missed the activation deadline for the fall Overwatch season, don’t worry! We are always establishing NASEF-affiliated esports clubs.

With multiple tournaments offered, we have rolling opt-in dates for participation for each tournament, but you can always activate a Club and participate in other Club activities, prepare for future tournaments, or participate in your own competitions against other clubs.

At NASEF, we strive to empower clubs to be autonomous. We want you to make your own decisions about what works best for your students. We provide support over North America, but believe that decisions should be made at the local club level. Regardless of what you choose, we’re available to support your club and make it a great success!

“How Much Does it Cost to Participate?”

NASEF is completely free. Not only is participation in all tournaments free, a ton of guides and resources are provided to help Clubs and teams get started, and to help students learn how to apply talents they’re building in esports to prepare for their eventual careers. In fact, even if your school participates in other leagues, it’s a good idea to join NASEF as well -- after all, there’s zero cost and many benefits!

Have More Questions?

We want to make activation a smooth, fun process for your club. If there are more questions that you have about getting started, please reach out to us. We’d love to address your question in order to help alleviate any possible challenges you might have.

Our team is eager to help get you started! If you’re ready to go, please visit our activation portal to start the process.