The popularity of esports is prevalent not only at the collegiate and professional levels, but also within high schools — so much so that the High School eSports League and Dreamfuel have partnered to create an eSports scholarship.
Dreamfuel, a platform for athletes and teams to raise money for their pursuits from supporters around the world, normally shares its revenue with its partner organizations. But the partnership with the High School eSports League will donate all of its proceeds to the scholarship fund that will give talented high school eSports players the opportunity to compete at the highest levels.
“With the explosive growth of eSports in the college and high school space, access to funding that doesn’t hinder eSports athletes is becoming increasingly important,” Mason Mullenioux, the league’s CEO, said in the statement.
Dreamfuel, founded by CEO Emily White, has a history of getting athletes the money they need to reach their goals; the platform has been used by athletes of all skill levels playing 30 sports across six continents, according to the statement. Specifically, last year Dreamfuel started an initiative to help get swimmers and track athletes to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The company will look to bring that same level of funding help to the partnership with the High School eSports League. Though professional eSports players can do very well financially, scholarships for high school sports often go mainly sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and soccer.
“Not only will our team empower athletes as well as The High School eSports’ league with modern and sustainable fundraising, but the league creating a scholarship program with their funds is beyond inspiring to us,” White said in the statement.
“As eSports are burgeoning in the NCAA, NAIA, and NACE, it’s important that our athletes are protected and supported while simultaneously raising the funds they need to compete.”
To that end, Dreamfuel will ensure that the high school esports players compete and raise funds within the guidelines of the NCAA and other governing organizations. The ultimate goal is simply to help esports players reach their full potential without worrying about the cost.
“We believe these students should have the same opportunities as traditional sports and this is why we want to create and launch a scholarship fund,” Mullenioux said in the statement. “We never want to see an athlete held back from competing due to financial means.”
