High School Esports Competition Builds Community
By Sora Schools
High School esports is Sora Schools’ flagship extracurricular program. Drama and Debate have also joined as extracurriculars for both middle and high school students in 2024. The esports program works in partnership with Ekuso, which provides coaches and competition opportunities.
“Ekuso’s esports program is not only fun for Sora students but also takes individuals and creates families with strong bonds,” said Sora mom, Dawn Johansen.
Florida Esports Invitational
In February, Ekuso hosted the Florida Esports Invitational in Miami and several of the Sora team members, who competitively play League of Legends and Valorant, participated.
“This is the first year that we are at Sora and our ninth grader, Ricardo, chose to be part of the esports team playing Valorant,” said Eileen Cruz Gonzalez, a Sora mom.
“He had the opportunity to participate in the Florida Esports Invitational with Ekuso. It was a great weekend where we met other Sora families and represented the school. Having the opportunity for the children to meet in person and seeing them interact was such a great experience and delightful to watch. The children just mingled with each other like they saw each other every week, I was in awe of how in tune they were with each other.”
Team Bonding & The Sora Community
The weekend of the Florida Esports Invitational was about more than just gaming. It was about bonding together as a team.
“The Friday when we arrived, the first day they went to get boba, then went to the beach, and then we all had dinner together,” said Eileen.
“Saturday was the invitational and everyone did their best to compete, represent Sora proudly, and learn from the experience. We had the opportunity to celebrate Ricardo's 16th birthday that night with a cake and everyone participated, which made his birthday extra special. The teens got the opportunity to be with each other, compete, and just hang out. On Sunday, before saying goodbye to each other, we visited the Museum of Illusions as a group and went for lunch at a Japanese BBQ restaurant. All the activities, not just the competition, made the trip a great way for not just the teens to interact but for us, the parents, to get to know one another - the exquisite, well-rounded group of people the Sora family is formed of. We had a great time!”
Sora students and their families benefit from the Extracurricular program, building community connections and forming strong friendships.
