FHSAA considers adding esports to athletic offerings

More than half — 54.6 percent — of the schools surveyed said they would be interested in offering esports to students if the FHSAA sanctioned the games. Nearly 50 percent of public schools surveyed indicated interest, while more than 56 percent of private schools and 82 percent of charter schools expressed interest.

Of the state’s four FHSAA regional sections, schools in Section 4 encompassing South Florida expressed the highest level of interest at 69 percent.

FHSAA board member Trevor Berryhill, who also is athletic director for Oviedo private school The Master’s Academy, was among the members who voiced support for sanctioning esports.

“Last year we had a student get a scholarship to Florida State (University) in esports. He also is a part of their NIL (name, image and likeness) collective,” Berryhill said, referring to student-athletes at the collegiate level being able to earn money from business agreements such as endorsement deals.

“So it’s just another opportunity for kids to be involved in something,” Berryhill added.

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The FSU Esports program is a student-run organization, according to its website, that “provides a foundation for our school’s many competitive gaming teams.”

Esports programs also are increasingly being recognized by sanctioning bodies across the country.

There are 21 states that are members of the National Federation of State High School Associations that have sanctioned esports in their schools, according to FHSAA documents. Southeastern states that have signed off on the programs include Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.

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