Student athletes at a high school in Queens have won both state and national championships without setting foot on a field. 

Their sport is competitive video gaming, a program growing in schools nationwide.

"It's a natural fit"

At Health, Arts, Robotics, and Technology High School (HARTs) in Cambria Heights, lessons range from drone operation to graphic design. But these days, one discipline has students particularly excited: video games.

"My favorite games, I would say, are Marvel Rivals and Fortnite," junior Amare McDonald said. 

About 40 students make up the esports program at HARTs, which triumphed at 2025 state and national competitions. Coaches say training keeps players sharp.

"We have them practicing Monday through Friday, three hours a day," robotics teacher and esports coach Jordan Jean said. "We have varsity, junior varsity and club, so everybody can learn from each other."

The program blends computer science and software engineering in a new state-of-the-art facility. 

"That's probably my biggest goal, to be an electrical engineer or some type of engineer," freshman Ayden Hanif said. "It's a fun class that we take. Not a lot of high schools are going to have the opportunity to do all of this."

Principal Kayode Ayetiwa says esports connect students with scholarships. 

"Because students are often already gamers, it's a natural fit," he said.

"It's basically helping me uplift myself and bring everybody up with me"

Critics share concerns about too much screen time taking away from schoolwork, hobbies or just living life offline. Educators say balance is key.

"We see an increase in enrollment, engagement, attendance," assistant principal Anna Raghubir said. "There is a buzz about what's happening here in Cambria Heights."

Game design teacher Errol Davis says the program cultivates soft skills from teamwork to communication. 

"And then, there's technical skills, how they program, how they build creatively, how they do design, the engineering cycle," he said.

When esports arrived at HARTs in the spring of 2025, the concept raised eyebrows among some parents.

"I was very skeptical at first," Shari Duncan said.

Duncan's mind was changed witnessing her son's personal growth, new enthusiasm and tight bonds.

"They are a team. They all move together inside and outside of esports," she said.

Students say esports gives them a reason to hold their heads high.

"At first, I was a very quiet person. I never used to want to talk to anyone," senior Jahiem Prescod said. "But this year, when esports started, I was speaking to almost everyone."

"It's basically helping me uplift myself and bring everybody up with me," McDonald said.

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