NFA's Esports room opens new opportunities for students

One of Norwich Free Academy’s newest programs is off to a strong start.Last school year, the NFA eSports team, which does competitive video gaming, started. Even though it was brand new, the team placed fourth in a CIAC tournament for Super Smash Brothers, losing to that year’s winner Manchester High School. Now in its second year, the program has grown from nine students to 21.The program is meant to both improve student life while also drawing more potential students to NFA, Director of Communications Mike O’Farrell said.“This is another feather in our cap that sets us apart from other schools,” he said.NFA isn’t the first high school in eastern Connecticut to have an esports program. Others include Griswold High School and Putnam Science Academy.Why did NFA start the E-Sports Team?While school administrators had discussed the possibility of esports for years, a series of donations to the NFA Foundation in early 2026, designated for esports, gave the school the push to go for a “dry run,” Director of Information Technology Anthony Girasoli said.“We got some of the equipment in at that time, but there was still construction going on around the kids while they were playing and practicing,” he said.Beyond the competition, the eSports team provides a social outlet for students who don’t have an interest in traditional sports or other school activities, and those who want a passion for something, Science Teacher and eSports Coach Tyler Martin said.“They’re pouring their hearts out, you know, and they’re sometimes getting a little emotional over it too,” he said. “They want to be their best and they want to play their best.”What games do the students play?While the season officially starts in January, the students are already jamming games in The Grid, a room tucked in the corner of the school library. The room’s name and decorations pay tribute to the Tron film series. The room includes two lounge areas with TVs for console-based games, and multiple rows of computers with gaming chairs.The video games students play are Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, Rocket League, under CIAC regulation, and Street Fighter Six and Marvel Rivals under Play VS, a national high school eSports league, Martin said.The program is still an organized sport where students get to play against other high school students, and they may get scholarships from colleges with esports teams as well.Some students were playing multiple games in the first year, but now they’re more focused on their game of choice, Martin said.What the team is learningWhile strategy comes into play, Martin is focused on teaching the fundamentals of each game before the more technical aspects, as the majority of the club members are first-year students.The students are following Martin’s advice, from switching what characters they play as to grinding their games to get better. However, Martin still makes sure the students are doing well enough in school to keep playing, he said.What else is the space used for?As the new computers in the eSports room are the most advanced on the NFA campus, they can also be used for classwork. Girasoli currently has one student using these computers for a statistics independent study, and there will be classes and school activities in the space, including video game development, VR development, and Minecraft Education Edition, he said.“We want to build upon this space and use it for curricular activities during the day,” Girasoli said.'It’s nice seeing more people get into the game'Junior Jah’love Edwards is one of the few students still on the team from last year, as most of them graduated. He says he still needs practice, despite the strong finish in last year’s Super Smash Brothers tournament.“They’re monsters at this game,” he said, referring to the Manchester High School team, who had matching uniforms.That said, Edwards is still proud of how NFA team did last year, going 7-1 before playoffs, he said. He’s also happy to have younger students join the team.“It’s nice seeing more people get into the game,” Edwards said.This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: NFA's Esports room opens new opportunities for students