Snider Esports Fundraiser

Hello, my name is Joe Wilhelm, and I am the director of esports at Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Snider Esports is a successful after-school athletic program at Snider High School. We have approximately 75-100 students involved in the year-long program. We compete against other schools across the state as part of the Indiana Esports Network.

Snider Esports isn't just about playing video games, we have strict behavior, attendance, and grade requirements that students must adhere to to be eligible for participation in esports. And students routinely rise to these requirements! We have seen students who were failing all 7 classes bring all grades up to passing to be eligible for esports. Esports is succeeding in providing motivation and accountability for students. Snider Esports is free for students because we want all students to be able to reap the benefits of involvement regardless of socioeconomic status.

In addition to players, students are also social media managers, online moderators, coaches, team captains, and shoutcasters. Shoutcasting is akin to sports broadcasting. We broadcast our matches on Twitch in the same way traditional sports matches would be broadcast online. Our goal is to expand our ability to broadcast matches and provide students with more real-world skills and opportunities through shoutcasting. We will create a shoutcasting studio to broadcast our esports matches. Students will be involved as technical spectators, broadcasters, stream engineers, audio engineers, content developers, etc. This will allow Snider Esports to involve more students and give them skills for future careers.

Snider Esports is asking for your donations to accomplish these specific goals:

1) Develop Snider Esports Shoutcasting Studio

2) Develop a scholarship fund for students who cannot afford to purchase a jersey, athletic letter, pin, tournament fees/expenses, etc.

3) Build up funds for after-school snacks and resources for students.

Below are some testimonials from students and Snider staff about the positive impact Snider Esports has on students at Snider:

Mr. Chad Hissong (Principal)- "Esports has been a HUGE game-changer for Snider High School. Esports has opened so many windows and doors for our students…from meeting and making new friends at school while doing something they love to do…to earning scholarships and opportunities to continue their gameplay beyond high school…to becoming a recognized team, as well as, recognized individual players at the local, state and national level. The Snider High School Esports Team has exceeded all of the hopes and dreams of what type of impact an Esports program would have on our students and our school. I am truly a proud supporter of Snider High School Esports."

Liz- "Esports has helped me find the people who are like me, the ones that I get along with, and the ones who I feel I fit in with. Until I joined esports, I never felt I fit in much. But, once I made the SSBU team, I felt like I finally found my people."

Isaiah- "Esports has given me a place to go to meet new people. It has also given me the motivation I need to get good grades."

Anica- "Esports has given me the confidence and community in which to be myself."

Chris- "The Snider Esports program was a great experience for me. I enjoyed it a lot, and I was good enough to earn a scholarship for college. Esports gave me such a great opportunity which I will always be thankful for."

Mr. Steve Ziembo (Athletic Director)- "The Esports program at Snider has had a tremendous impact on the students at Snider, such as communication skills, improved hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving development. As with all sports, our Esports program has a focus on teamwork, and with their successes the past few years, the players also develop self-confidence."