The new Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools varsity esports and STEM league "launched its fall season" in November, becoming the “first-ever high school esports league in North Carolina," according to Anna Maria Della Costa of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Nearly 700 students “participated in the inaugural fall season” with "help from 25-plus CMS faculty members." Charlotte city council member and Steigler EdTech co-founder Tariq Bokhari “helped organize the CMS league." Bokhari said, “Esports not only enables us to meet the kids where they are with what they love to do already, and relay the lessons normally reserved for traditional varsity sports -- working as a team, communication, leadership, accountability, but also make them look at STEM in a way they have not done before -- competition.” Della Costa noted Stiegler EdTech “made the league possible” through a partnership with Carolina Esports Hub and Tepper Sports & Entertainment. Competition involves “head-to-head match-ups in Rocket League between varsity and junior varsity teams of the schools" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/2).
