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Vermont Edition
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Vermont Edition

Gaming that's good? Vermont schools embrace competitive esports

By Mikaela Lefrak,
Matthew F Smith
Published April 12, 2023 at 2:30 PM EDT
a team of esports players in matching black and sky blue uniforms sit in chairs, wearing masks, looking intently at screens during a competitive video game match
Champlain College, courtesy
Champlain College's esports players in uniform at their computers during a game. This hour, we'll talk to students, parents and coaches about why Vermont schools are embracing competitive video games.

Players at schools across Vermont are practicing every day for high-stakes matches against other teams, even competing for scholarships in their game of choice. Not in sports like soccer or baseball, but esports with video games like Valorant and Mario Kart. We're talking with students, parents and coaches about esports and why Vermont schools are embracing competitive video games.

Our guests are:

  • Amanda Crispel, a game designer, educator and chair of Champlain College's Communications and Creative Media, and her daughter Alex Fox, a player on Champlain Valley Union High School's JV esports team
  • Alessandro Cummings-Ferlo, a senior at CVU and varsity captain of the school’s Super Smash Bros. esports team
  • Christian Konczal, head coach and director of the esports program at Champlain College
  • John Wagner, esports advisor at North Country Supervisory Union

Broadcast live on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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Editor's note: Champlain College is a Vermont Public underwriter.

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Vermont Edition SportsTechnologyChamplain CollegeArts & CultureVermont Edition
Mikaela Lefrak
Mikaela Lefrak is the host and senior producer of Vermont Edition. Her stories have aired nationally on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Marketplace, The World and Here & Now. A seasoned local reporter, Mikaela has won two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and a Public Media Journalists Association award for her work.
See stories by Mikaela Lefrak
Matthew F Smith
Matt Smith worked for Vermont Public from 2017 to 2023 as managing editor and senior producer of Vermont Edition.
See stories by Matthew F Smith