How to Start a High School Esports Club: A Step-by-Step Guide
Esports is now one of the fastest growing extracurricular activities in education. This guide walks teachers, athletic directors and principals through everything needed to launch a successful high school esports club, from approval and equipment to leagues and classroom integration.
What you'll learn
Why start a high school esports club
High school esports reaches students who often aren't engaged by traditional athletics. Independent research from organizations like the North America Scholastic Esports Federation shows that participating students see meaningful gains in attendance, STEM interest and sense of belonging at school.
- Builds teamwork, communication and leadership in a low-cost format
- Creates pathways to college scholarships (200+ US colleges now offer them)
- Opens careers in coaching, production, marketing, analytics and event ops
- Engages students who don't join traditional sports or arts programs
- Supports digital citizenship and healthy gaming habits when run well
Step 1: Get school approval
Before buying anything, build a one-page proposal for your principal or activities director. Most schools approve esports clubs quickly when the proposal addresses three concerns: safeguarding, cost and educational value.
Your proposal should include:
- • Mission statement and target student population
- • Faculty advisor name and time commitment
- • Starter budget and any in-kind donations
- • Game titles with age ratings (PEGI / ESRB) and rationale
- • Safeguarding plan: parental consent, online safety, code of conduct
- • Curriculum tie-ins (STEM, media, PE, business)
Step 2: Recruit a faculty advisor
Every successful high school esports club has at least one staff sponsor. The advisor doesn't need to be a gamer, they need to care about students and be willing to learn. IT teachers, librarians, media studies and PE staff are the most common advisors.
If your school can't free up a teacher, an embedded esports teacher from an external partner can take ownership of sessions while a school chaperone supervises.
Step 3: Pick the right games
Choose 2–3 titles to start. Mixing genres keeps more students engaged and lets you field teams in multiple leagues. Always check age ratings against your student population and your district's media policy.
Rocket League
E for EveryoneEasy entry, fast matches, no violence, ideal first title.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
E10+Console-based, big rosters, popular at clubs.
Overwatch 2
T for TeenTeam-based hero shooter with strong coaching content.
League of Legends
T for TeenLargest scholastic scene; deep strategic gameplay.
Valorant
T for TeenTactical shooter; check district FPS policy first.
Splatoon 3
E10+Family-friendly shooter alternative on Nintendo Switch.
Step 4: Equipment & budget
You don't need a full arena to start. Many successful clubs begin with five stations in a classroom after school. Pick the tier that matches your goals and grow from there.
Starter (5 players)
$3,000 – $6,000- • 5 mid-range gaming PCs or current-gen consoles
- • 5 gaming monitors (144Hz minimum for PC)
- • Headsets with mic, mouse, mouse pads, keyboards
- • Stable wired network (Ethernet to each station)
- • Streaming/coaching laptop + capture card
Competitive (10 players + spectators)
$10,000 – $20,000- • 10 tournament-grade PCs (RTX-class GPU)
- • 240Hz monitors, ergonomic chairs, sound dampening
- • Coach station, broadcast PC, dual streaming setup
- • Dedicated room, projector or large display for review
- • Backup power, lockable storage, club branding
Esports arena (15+ players, classes)
$40,000+- • Purpose-built esports lab with 15–25 stations
- • Production booth, lighting, signage, audience seating
- • Curriculum-ready LMS and analytics platform
- • Integration with school timetable and PE/IT programs
For arena-scale builds, see our guide on esports center design.
Step 5: Team structure & tryouts
Esports clubs run best when every student has a role, not just the top 5 players. Plan for a roster that includes competitors, content creators and operations support.
Players & captains
Starting 5 + subs per game title. Captains run scrims and lead voice comms.
Faculty advisor
Required by most schools. Owns safeguarding, parental consent and travel.
Head coach
Plans practice, reviews VODs, manages roster. Can be a teacher, parent or external partner.
Shoutcasters & analysts
Students who don't play competitively can broadcast, edit and run socials.
Club president
Student leader who handles meetings, recruitment and league communications.
Run a two-week open-tryout window before naming starting rosters. Use in-game rank, attitude in scrims and academic eligibility, not just mechanical skill.
Step 6: Join a league
Joining a scholastic league gives your club structured seasons, brackets, anti-cheat and a clear calendar to plan around. Most leagues have free or low-cost high school tiers.
- PlayVS, Official scholastic provider in many US states.
- NASEF, Curriculum-led federation with global reach.
- HSEL / Generation Esports, Broad title coverage and prize pools.
- Local school federations, Many countries now run national high school circuits.
Step 7: Curriculum integration
The clubs with the longest staying power tie back into the timetable. Even one classroom unit a year strengthens admin support and attracts new students.
STEM & computing
PC building, networking, scripting, game design.
Media & broadcast
Shoutcasting, OBS production, editing, social media.
Business & marketing
Sponsorship, brand, ticketing, event operations.
PE & wellbeing
Reaction training, posture, sleep, nutrition, screen balance.
Our School Program provides a ready-made, EAF-accredited curriculum that maps directly onto these four strands.
Step 8: Safeguarding & wellbeing
A strong safeguarding posture is the single biggest factor in keeping administrative buy-in long term. Make wellbeing visible from day one.
Minimum club safeguarding checklist
- • Written code of conduct, signed by every player and parent
- • Parental consent forms for online competition and streaming
- • Adult supervision for all online matches against external teams
- • Clear reporting path for bullying, harassment or grooming
- • Screen-time, sleep and posture guidance for players
- • Annual safeguarding refresher for the faculty advisor
For a turnkey wellbeing module that complements the club, see our Mind Your Game program.
Step 9: Launch & first season
90-day launch plan
- Weeks 1–2: Approval, advisor confirmed, parent letter sent home.
- Weeks 3–4: Equipment ordered, room scheduled, code of conduct signed.
- Weeks 5–6: Open tryouts, league registration, first scrim night.
- Weeks 7–10: Practice schedule, coach-led VOD reviews, parent night.
- Weeks 11–12: First competitive matches, broadcast pilot, end-of-season survey.
Want help launching your high school esports club?
SquidEsports provides EAF-accredited curriculum, embedded teachers and full esports center design to schools worldwide. We can take your club from idea to first match.