Great Bend High School already has an electronic gaming E-Sports Club, but soon it will have a competitive E-Sports team. They have a two-time national champion (and one-time runner-up) willing to guide them.
Activities Director Matt Westerhaus presented the proposal at Wednesday’s USD 428 Board of Education meeting and received board approval. Starting this month, GBHS will recruit team members who will compete in Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) events. There will be teams for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Rocket League.
KSHSAA board members voted in 2024 to sanction an E-Sports state championship should 24 schools sign up for the activity. A survey sent out in June indicated over 80 schools showed interest in participating for the 2025-26 school year.
E-Sports teaches teamwork and leadership skills, Westerhaus said. As with other sports, it allows students from multiple social groups to bond as a team.
“It provides new opportunities for students in our school, which is what we’re all about.”
Kindric Castro (with teammate Adam Hardin) of the Barton Community College E-Sports team clinched the program’s third NJCAAE National Championship in 2022. Their game was Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Castro spent three years at Barton earning a degree in networking and computer science and is now the Google & Chromebook administrator in USD 428’s IT department.
Castro and technology teacher Jake Hofflinger joined Westerhaus in making the presentation. In the news release later issued by the school district, Hofflinger and Castro were described as the coaches of the new sport. The pre-season starts now with recruiting team members. Practice begins Nov. 17 and continues for two weeks. The regular season will run Dec. 1 through Jan. 19, 2026, with play-offs at the end of January.
Hofflinger said other high schools have E-Sports teams or are considering them. At this time, it is not known what Kansas teams Great Bend will face. “We will have to travel one time,” he said.
Earlier in the meeting, GBHS Principal Brock Funke had talked about efforts to reduce absenteeism. Hofflinger said E-Sports will give more students a reason to come to school, noting 46% of students in E-Sports don’t participate in other school activities. “It’s the first thing they’ve competed in.”
Speaking from his own gaming experience, Casto said, “E-Sports gave me a sense of belonging and purpose – and I want to do that for the students at Great Bend.” High school graduates can now receive college scholarships to play E-Sports, as he did. Beyond college, there are professional players and lifelong players who simply enjoy gaming.
Hofflinger previously started the E-Sport Club at GBHS, which has 46 members and is open to all levels of gamers. The E-Sport team will require a commitment to attend practices and it will require a certain level of skill. He said he anticipates a quarter of the club members will be interested in being on a team.
School Board member Randy Wetzel, a former assistant principal at GBHS, said he was pushing for E-Sports five years ago. “It’s good for kids,” he said, making the motion to approve the new sport. The motion was seconded by Sara Williams and unanimously approved.
Westerhaus said the start-up cost will be about $4,500 for equipment and software. There will be a head coach and assistant coach, paid based on the district’s supplemental salary schedule. Additional costs are optional, such as the purchase of gaming chairs and tables, estimated at $3,300. The teams would also look at purchasing T-shirts or some other type of Jersey to serve as uniforms, for another $500.
“As we continue to look for ways for our students to be engaged, grow, connect and excel, I strongly support the addition of an E-Sports competitive team at Great Bend High School,” Westerhaus stated in his written proposal. “Competitive gaming has become one of the fastest growing activities worldwide, offering students a platform to develop teamwork, communication, leadership and strategic thinking skills. E-Sports provides an inclusive environment where students who may not otherwise participate in traditional athletics can still represent our school, experience the benefits of competition, and build meaningful relationships. Furthermore, E-Sports opens pathways to college scholarships, technology-related careers, and personal growth in digital citizenship and online collaboration.”
