The growing interest in e-sports has impacted the Maui Interscholastic League as four high schools on the Valley Isle are now participating in gaming as a club team.

Maui High, Baldwin, Kihei Charter, and Kamehameha Maui are all competing in the fall schedule unofficially as club teams.

“There is a lot of interest in it. Right now it’s a club sport, but the athletic department is helping sponsor some of the financial cost of it,” said Maui High Athletic Director Michael Ban. “There is strong interest in it among all students and this gives them a way to participate and belong to the school, which it crucial to the overall high school experience.”

Right now all new schools are participating as club teams through the Hawaii High School Athletic Association.

“I don’t know what the future is going to be, but right now it’s very promising and there’s a lot of interest,” Ban said. “We have our own kinks we have to work out with our tech department. It’s the first year, it’s a learning process.”

PlayVs is the online platform that enables schools to build and manage teams, check schedules, and track stats, all with real-time support. Each school year has two seasons — fall and spring. Teams are put into leagues for each game: League of Legends (five players), Rocket League (three) and Smite (five).

A season is divided into a two-week long preseason, a seven-week long regular season, followed by the playoffs. A champion is crowned at the end of each season.

The cost is $64 per player per season. The one-time fee covers everything a student needs to compete in e-sports at the varsity level.

“Right now it’s not an athletic team, it’s a club, and we’re funneling it through the clubs,” said Baldwin Athletic Director Wade Hondo. “So right now we have an adviser and she’s also in charge of another club on campus. I told her to put one team in and try it out. We’re going to have to work the bugs out, so let’s see if there is interest, and see if they like the format.”

Hondo said from a technological standpoint he knows their equipment is not all compatible and he foresees students using their own personal headsets and controllers in order to be competitive.

Hondo added, “It’s a pilot program right now. We are going to monitor the program this year and see how it goes. We didn’t really advertise it and in the end we’ll see what works and what doesn’t work. But from the beginning, I told her she’s on her own and we are treating it like a club.”

Hondo said the Bears are currently 2-2. Baldwin lost to Punahou two weeks ago, but won a forfeit on against Kapolei the following week.