Middleton High School’s Esports team takes video gaming to a professional level – with passionate players, committed coaches and a dedicated fan base.
“Some people may look at the organization, see ‘video games,’ and dismiss this organization as fun and games,” said Middleton High School math teacher Marc Brousseau and one of the club’s advisors. “Our students are very competitive and are at the top of the talent pool.”
“Our club is full of ‘gamer nerds,’ but we are welcoming to all demographics,” added Middleton High School senior and Esports team member Noah Holzheimer.
The Esports league offers three seasons during the school year, and Middleton High School’s team had a strong showing in 2024-2025.
“The fall season featured Super Smash Brothers, and our team made it to the state championship and ultimately took third place in the team tournament,” Brosseau said. “One of our team members, Alex Ladwig, made it similarly far in the individual tournament.”
The team also had a successful spring season. The Valorant team stayed undefeated in the regular season but lost in the quarterfinals. Brosseau said he’s excited to see the Valorant team reset next year.
“I am extremely confident in this group and know they can win it all next year!” said Brousseau.
The Esports program evolved from an earlier videogame club at Middleton High School.
“We started our Esports program in the fall of the 2021-2022 school year at the request of a group of students who were interested in competitively playing the game called League of Legends,” Brousseau said. “Prior to formally competing in Esports, Middleton High School had a longstanding videogame club centered around the game Super Smash Brothers.”
Brosseau credited the program’s success to the students.
“While we are fortunate to have the resources to provide our students with this opportunity, they are the reason our program thrives,” Brosseau said. “We have had excellent student leaders each year who continue to recruit and push the program forward.”
“Without the level of camaraderie we have, our club would not be the same,” Holzheimer said. “It's really the people that make the Esports club, as well as other Middleton High School clubs, so special.”
Students interested in joining Esports for the 2025-2026 school year can reach out to Brousseau or Mr. Luis Perez, the club’s other advisor. The club will also be at the Student Organization Fair at the beginning of the school year.
“We meet after school every Monday in Mr. Perez's computer lab for our community days,” Brosseau said.
Holzheimer said in addition to community days, the team has a Discord server where members interact with one another.
“We don't care who walks into the door on community day,” said Holzheimer. “We love newcomers and are open to trying new things, playing new games, and meeting new people.”