Thanks to the vision and dedication of Mr. Adam Gardner, what started as a small club eight years ago, the EHHS’ E-sports team, has quickly grown into a successful competitive gaming team. This club provides students with a unique opportunity to develop skills in strategy, teamwork, and leadership — all while pursuing their passion for gaming. Mr. Gardner has been a staff member and owner since the very beginning and had to build the club from the ground up. He attended several meetings with the CIAC staff members and many other esports coaches across the state. He also spent time building and improving the computers used for competition and practice.
The E-sports team ended their season with a huge accomplishment by competing at Quinnipiac University, located in Hamden, Connecticut, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. They played two matches of Rocket League, the first match running against the Trumbull Golden Eagles, and the second running against the Sheehan Titans. They beat Trumbull during the semi-finals round, which led them to play against the Sheehan Titans in the championship round. Sheehan won four out of seven rounds in Rocket League, leading them to rank first in the state and East Haven second.
As Team Captain, Evan Martinez is responsible for scheduling practices and informing the team with details on practices, games, or tournaments. He has been loyal to the team all throughout his high school career, developing new skills in the game and teamwork.
Freshman Allen Vincent decided to join the team because he wanted to help the team by using his skills and knowledge about the game to improve the skill level and communication between players while also learning and developing new skills. “When I first started playing for the E-sports team, [my team wasn’t dedicated]. Then Allen came along and he really impacted our team because he helped the team play better together and he really exceeds in the game.”
Rocket League is a vehicular soccer video game where you control a car and try to score goals by hitting a large ball into the opposing team’s net. Rocket League is the only game the E-Sports team is allowed to play because it not only forces the players to come together and communicate to build and develop good chemistry within the game to win, but it also builds good communication skills and teaches students how to work with their peers. Given the game’s absence of firearms and violent content, Rocket League stands out as the sole age-appropriate game that the team can engage in within a school setting, making it accessible to players of all ages.
The E-sports club is open to all students. As of this year, the competitive team is made up of six students, but three main competitors, including the senior captain, Evan Martinez. The club is year-round; in the fall, they focus more on running club days, allowing any student to join and practice with the team. During the spring, they strictly stick to competitive matches and practices. If you or someone you know is interested in joining and willing to dedicate themselves to make the sacrifice and consistently attend the practices, show up on Thursdays in room E314 and E317, after school at 3:30.
