On Mar. 8, 2025, the Saints ISO Unified Mario Kart team placed third in the eSports DuKane Conference. However, this is not the only victory the team has seen this school year.
Since its founding in the 2022-2023 school year, the STCE eSports team has been a place for students interested in taking on a more competitive gaming side. While it started with just playing Super Smash Brothers Ultimate (SSBU), the team has expanded to playing Mario Kart, Splatoon and Mario Kart with a Unified Mario Kart team added this season, combining eSports athletes with ISO athletes.
This year, the eSports team has had major victories with their Splatoon team making it to play-offs and their Mario Kart team making it to the PlayVS semifinals this fall season. With at least four games per week competing in leagues with tens to hundreds of other teams, the team is constantly clutching up wins and sweeping their competition, and they hope to keep doing so for the rest of the school year.
“We hope to […] keep growing the community and show that this club is a viable option for those who don’t think [they] can participate in other sports or have a condition that would prevent you from doing so,” said junior Noah Wang.
However, their competition wins aren’t the only accomplishments the team is proud of. The team spoke highly of their experiences overall, from being able to play competitively with new friends and meeting people from all across the country at tournaments.
Senior Parin Shah fondly recalled memories at a DuKane SSBU conference playing large games with all the attendees. “It’s lots of fun just being able to meet and hang out with all sorts of people from everywhere in the state and do all sorts of little fun matches,” he said.
Wang has especially enjoyed seeing the growth of their Splatoon team with many improvements being made this school year to optimize team communication and strategy. “It’s been wonderful not only to be competitive, […] but to grow this as a camaraderie [and] ultimately grow the club,” he said. “[It’s] something that I think we’ve all enjoyed seeing.”
Overall, the team has not only found benefits in their victories but also in the joy that playing with the team has given them throughout their time at East. “ESports helped me to calm down [and] collect myself, even as I’m participating in really high-intensity tournaments,” said Shah. “It really let me take my mind off of all the stress and anxiety I had over tests and exams, and it really was just a great way to cool off and play some games with a lot of friends.”
Wang spoke about the unique opportunity that eSports provides students with to truly feel like they’re contributing to East’s community and school spirit. “Being in eSports has helped me and others just find how we can properly add our voices to our school’s accomplishments,” he said. “Unlike a lot of the sports that we have here at East, […] this isn’t something that you need to go all out for. This isn’t something that’s going to be defining of you, it’s only what you want it to be.”
ESports advisor Stephanie Corn highlighted the strategy and communication skills that eSports instills in students. From player selection in SSBU to intricately mapping out routes in Splatoon maps, Corn has always loved seeing the growth her players go through from being on the team. “That is a skill that they can take into the job force,” she said. “That negotiating skill, the strategy, you’re going to use it everywhere, so using this as an opportunity to build that is a wonderful experience.”
The team has many goals for the future, including playing new games and starting up streaming to local St. Charles residents. With these goals in mind, the team is always looking to expand their community and recruit more players who want to share their love for games.
“We are open and welcome to everybody to come in,” said Shah. “So sit down, play a couple of games with us and have fun.”
The Saints eSports team meets every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in the LRC Writing Center. Sectionals will be coming up in April.
