The esports hub at the Waterloo campus was bustling with elementary school students in team jerseys for a Mario Kart tournament on April 23.
The esports hub at the Waterloo campus hosted a Mario Kart tournament for students in Grades 5 to 8. Applause filled the hub when the final match determined the top player.
More than 120 students in Grades 5 to 8 from the Waterloo Catholic District School Board joined the event hosted by Conestoga, participants decided by tournaments held earlier at individual schools. Each could send a team of six to compete at the college’s esports hub and the top 24 players of the day went onto the final round to determine the best player - with all the action livestreamed on YouTube.
“They’re pumped,” said Christopher Comiskey, a teacher at St. Michael. “Turning a passion into a tournament is pretty exciting for them.”
The Cambridge school has an esports club and students play together during lunch break, much like many of the schools have esports clubs or teams. “It’s a sport like any sport,” Comiskey said.
The opportunity to play in the state-of-the-art Conestoga esports hub was exciting for the students, including the team of Golden Stars from St. Anne in Cambridge.
“I think it’s been a pretty unique experience to have the chance to do this,” said Grade 7 student Phillip Holden. “It’s been pretty fun. I’ve lost a few times but, otherwise, it’s been good.”
Classmate Emily Burkholder agreed. She also felt lucky to win a spot to come to the tournament since 32 students from their school signed up for the qualifying match. In total, 400 students from 19 schools competed to play in the esports hub.
“It was neat. The chairs were nice,” Emily said. “It was really cool to come to Conestoga.”
Emily added that she lost a few times as well, but at least she beat fellow St. Anne student Nolan Baillie, who is in Grade 8.
“It would be pretty fun to have a career in this,” Nolan said.
The students heard about the host of career options during a break in playing from Zack Dodge, supervisor of Esports Operations, who talked about the post-secondary pathways in esports.
Conestoga’s School of Creative Industries offers dynamic programs that span all aspects of media, communication and design, including those related to the esports industry, such as the two-year Esports and Event Media Production diploma program, which trains students on the production needs of hybrid events that are hosted via multiple formats, both online and in person.
Students learned about the various roles behind the scenes, giving options to those looking for ways to be part of the exciting industry beyond competing professionally.
“All very cool pathways that weren’t there a couple years ago,” Dodge said. “We’re bringing all these experiences to life.”
Whitney McKinley, the board’s student achievement consultant of learning innovation, hoped the students would be inspired by the Conestoga visit and hearing about the opportunities to turn their passion for video games into a career.
“There are hundreds of jobs in esports. It’s not just about the games,” McKinley said.
Esports are a growing part of student life at the board as an inclusive activity many students can enjoy.
“There’s a spot for everyone,” McKinley said. “This is a sport for a lot of our students.”
Conestoga offers opportunities for its students to participate in esports recreationally or on varsity teams.
Esports at the college will expand significantly in 2025 with the opening of a new 10,000-square-foot esports facility at the Waterloo campus, including competition stage, broadcast control room, analyst studio, simulation racing room and a 132-seat lecture hall that will open to the esports space for events.
This builds on Conestoga’s trailblazing in the rapidly expanding industry, starting with a dedicated esports hub opened in 2022 to support the college’s growing esports ecosystem. That facility was the first of its kind in Waterloo Region, and the college is working with the Waterloo Region Esports Commission to establish the region as a renowned esports destination and drive economic growth.