Al Gonzalez has found a way to get his sixth-grade students at Chimacum Elementary School involved in esports that also pits them against students from England.

Gonzalez had already been talking about esports with middle school teachers when the introduction of esports to Chimacum High School students inspired him to explore what options were available to his own students, which led him to learn that Minecraft is an esports game.

“I asked my three sixth-grade science classes if there was anyone interested in playing Minecraft competitively, as part of a school esports club,” Gonzalez said. “I had almost half of our 66 sixth-graders show interest in playing, so I told them I would get a Minecraft esports club going for them. The club’s first meeting took place Feb. 3, and its competition against the club from England took place Feb. 21.”

Gonzalez acknowledged there are likely an unlimited number of ways to play Minecraft competitively, so he’s sought to offer a variety of gaming experiences for the students, from “capture the flag” style contests to building competitions, “so that not all the game play is violent.”

But as much as anything, he’s empowered the students to guide him at least as much as he does them, “since they are the experts.”

While a number of middle schools compete in esports — “a lot with Rocket League,” as per the Chimacum High School students, but also in Minecraft — complete with leagues, tournaments and standings of the top schools, Gonzalez’s students are mostly limited to the mornings for their gameplay, due to their school schedules, so they can’t compete for standings or ranks within the league.

“We wouldn’t be able to play enough games to rank,” Gonzalez said. “In professional esports, the top Rocket League team is worth $15 million, so esports is big business!”

Gonzalez appreciates that esports gives gamers a chance to represent their school competitively, and feel like they belong, “since they have traditionally not been able to use their gaming skills for their school.”

Additionally, it furnishes them with a school activity they can enjoy.

“When kids play together in a team or a club and get to compete against other teams, they gain the same benefits as participating in physical school sports, including teamwork, strategy and leadership,” Gonzalez said. “By playing Minecraft, kids are communicating, collaborating and problem-solving, which are all 21st-century skills.”

As with more traditional physical sports, Gonzalez credited esports with helping teach his students how to win, lose and “get along with others,” as well as honing skills in a field they can pursue through high school and beyond.

“Many colleges and universities offer scholarships for kids who are good at many esports games, so this could be their ticket into college,” Gonzalez said.

Students who showed interest in the club needed signed permission slips from their parents, as well as to agree to follow all the rules and be good students.

“We can only have so many students in my room, and I only have so many laptops,” Gonzalez said. “So I made sure to impress upon them that participation is a privilege, and those who respect and appreciate that privilege, by behaving in club meetings as well as in school, will be able to keep it.”

Gonzalez thanked Superintendent Rick Thompson for providing extra equipment from the district’s tech department, including mice, new batteries for the laptops and a version of Minecraft required to play with other schools.

When students showed interest in joining the club, Gonzalez put together a survey to see what roles they were willing to play. Of the 26 who responded, the volunteers included four for team captains, four for assistant coaches, “a bunch” to create worlds on Minecraft, and two to announce as the rest played and live-streamed games.

“I couldn’t believe how perfect that was,” Gonzalez said. “With team captains strategizing and assistant coaches helping those with Minecraft playing questions, there have been no challenges or struggles that teams haven’t handled themselves. And that was essential for me to be able to run this club, because I am not a knowledgeable Minecraft player.”

Gonzales went on to praise his students as “so skilled and independent” that “I honestly do not even need to be there.”

The number of students in the club would allow Gonzalez to pit them exclusively against each other for the remainder of the school year, but he’s continuing to pursue opportunities to stage matches against other schools, and with parental support, he’s even hoping to introduce after-school matches.

“We also have a teacher in New Jersey who is willing to have some kids maybe play with us during their lunch period, since they are three hours ahead of us,” Gonzalez said. “We got to play with kids from a Minecraft club in England because they’re on Greenwich Mean Time, eight hours ahead of us, so their kids were leaving school just as mine were coming to club time.”

Gonzalez touted his students’ demonstrated commitment to their team, since they arrive at school almost an hour and a half before school actually starts.

“They’re all thoroughly engaged, having a good time, getting along and working together to achieve a common goal, all while representing their school,” Gonzalez said. “Having esports programs in our schools brings another group of students into school activities and gives them another reason to try harder to learn in their classes, get good grades and behave well.”

Interested observers can check out the Chimacum Elementary Minecraft students’ matches on Gonzalez’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/educatoral/videos.

The Chimacum Elementary Minecraft students’ next match against their English peers is set for Friday, March 13.