NASEF’s video game tournaments held in a scholastic framework that enables students to play in quality tournaments while learning career skills for esports and other industries

(Orange County, CA – November 19, 2019) – The North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) is excited to announce its Winter 2020 League of Legends High School Scholastic Tournament, powered by NASEF in partnership with Riot Games.

The selection of this highly-popular video game is sure to thrill high school students across North America, who will improve STEM and social emotional skills while at the same time they are honing their in-game skills.

NASEF is unique in the world of sports and esports because it doesn’t just focus on the competitive play aspect – in this case, gaming – but it also connects with youth in a fun club or classroom environment intentionally providing education on career and life skills at the same time.

"We aspire to make League of Legends an inclusive, generational scholastic sport. We've seen explosive growth in official high school support for League of Legends, giving students the opportunity to both compete for their schools and explore a future in the games industry. NASEF is introducing students to a wide variety of career opportunities as it leverages tournaments to connect with young people around their love of gaming. We applaud this unique scholastic approach to esports,” said Matt Birris, scholastic program lead for Riot Games in North America.  

To compete in the Winter 2020 League of Legends High School Scholastic Tournament, high schools and community-based groups need to have an active NASEF club within their school class, or in an out of school-time structure. This is a simple and FREE process that ensures that students have an adult who will oversee the team and other club activities, that IT requirements are met, and that oversight is provided for implementation of other aspects of NASEF club. Free coaching and career guidance is offered through webinars, online clinics, streams, videos, blogs, and podcasts. Teams wishing to have an individual professional coach by NASEF need to opt-in by January 17, 2020.

“We’re pumped about our winter line-up for 2020, and we know the students will be too,” said Mark Deppe, commissioner of NASEF and director of esports at UC Irvine. “They’ll have the opportunity to play against local rival schools and to compete against similar teams from across North America, leading to the live, in-person finals event. This is a fantastic opportunity for youth to work hard, develop their skills, and showcase their talents.”

In addition to the Winter 2020 League of Legends High School Scholastic Tournament, NASEF also offers several Extra Credit tournaments in popular titles such as Teamfight Tactics and Smash Ultimate. Clubs can enter up to 20 teams, so all students who want to compete will have the opportunity. “Beyond the Game™” challenges, open to all club members, encourage students to develop marketable job skills by entering competitions in areas like marketing, event planning, journalism, and more.

Participation in NASEF is free. High schools and community organizations for teens can activate a NASEF club and gain access to workshops and clinics, plus enter any combination of tournaments or creative challenges that they choose. Any high school team can play in NASEF’s free competition, even if the teams are playing in other tournaments. This way the teams can access state credentialed free educational resources for esports enthusiasts.

About the North America Scholastic Esports Federation 

The North America Scholastic Esports Federation is working to ensure that ALL students possess the knowledge and skills needed to be society’s game changers: educated, productive, and empathetic individuals. NASEF is on a mission to provide opportunities for ALL students to use esports as a platform to acquire critical communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in work and in life. The Federation’s core values are intertwined through all aspects of education and play: learning, opportunity, community, diversity, and respect.

Under the Samueli Foundation’s leadership, the Federation is led by partners from the Orange County Department of Education, OC STEM Initiative, Connected Camps, Connected Learning Lab, UCI Esports, UCI Henry Samueli School of Engineering, and the UCI Bren School of Information & Computer Science. 

Learn more at the NASEF website. Members of the press can find videos, infographics, and leadership profiles in the online press room. Join online conversations on Twitter @NASEFgg for esports updates and @NASEFedu for our education news, on Facebook and Instagram, and see matches streamed live on our Twitch channel. 

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Media Contact:
Claire LaBeaux
[email protected]
925-337-0244