Scholastic Esports Consolidation to Empower Play and Learning Around the World; High School Esports League (HSEL), Middle School Esports League (MSEL) and North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) Join Forces

High School Esports League (HSEL) and Middle School Esports League (MSEL), powered by Generation Esports (GenE), the national leader in delivering competitive esports, is joining forces with the leader in scholastic esports, the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), to become the preeminent providers of K12 scholastic and competitive esports.

 “We see this venture as a real need for the esports industry,” said Mason Mullenioux, co-founder and CEO of HSEL. “NASEF’s depth of experience in the educational benefits of esports makes it the acknowledged leader of the field, both nationally and globally. It transformed scholastic esports by developing the only program with a true state-credentialed curriculum, using esports as the lens through which STEM/STEAM skills and workforce pathways are defined.”

“NASEF has always seen HSEL as the leading provider of K12 esports competitions in the nation,” says Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF. “What brings us together are our core values and ethics, the fact that HSEL and NASEF put the students first. That the core focus is on helping children, especially those who are disenfranchised and unengaged succeed, and thrive, is the real opportunity for esports in the world.” In addition to his role as Executive Director of NASEF, Mr. Solomon will be assuming the position of President of Global Esports and Education within the HSEL organization.

The joining of HSEL, its components, and NASEF will transform the scholastic and competitive esports space. HSEL provides a competitive platform and program that students love, as evidenced by their presence in all 50 states with more than 140,000 students who are members. HSEL brings to the relationship its innovative and proven competition experience that is transforming the sporting world. 

NASEF concurrently provides the only state credentialed recognized curriculum for using esports as a magnet to attract students and then bring to light the many STEM/STEAM careers that can be developed through esports. NASEF is a global force that already reaches numerous countries around the world. 

“Our NASEF mission remains the same,” said Todd Harris, board chair of NASEF and founder and CEO of Skillshot Media. “To use esports as a platform to develop STEAM-based skills and social-emotional attributes such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities needed to thrive in work and in life. HSEL, through the strength of their proven competition program, will attract even more students and allow us to deliver even greater positive impact.”  

HSEL and NASEF have begun to assimilate their efforts and plan to be fully integrated by the start of the 2021 fall school year in North America to jointly offer access to their platforms for learning and play to students around North America and the globe.

“The convergence of HSEL’s competitive efforts with the proven academic resources and experience of NASEF gives us the collective opportunity to provide full wrap-around support for our students, and to forge a further pathway for them,” said Conner Alne, commissioner of HSEL. 

A key component to their joining together is to ensure continued and sustainable free access to NASEF’s game-changing esports curriculum and providing it to all of the HSEL membership.

Access to free NASEF tournaments will continue, with the option for teams to play even more titles and tournaments through the GenE platform. This commitment will forge a new standard for middle school and high school esports, while also having a significant impact on the collegiate and professional esports markets and companies.

A press kit with logos is available here: https://uberstrategist.link/HSEL-NASEF.

About HSEL

High School Esports League (HSEL) was founded in 2013 and remains the largest and longest-running competitive gaming organization for high school students, with over 3,600 partnered schools and 140,000 participating students — and it is growing. The organization harnesses students’ passion for video games through organized competition and academics, resulting in better engagement, better GPAs, and better career prospects. HSEL and its program for younger students, the Middle School Esports League (MSEL), are anchors in the overarching Generation Esports (GenE) organization. Through interconnected esports offerings, it serves communities across the world that wish to better engage today’s youth. For more information, please visit https://www.highschoolesportsleague.com or follow HSEL on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch. 

About NASEF

The North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) is on a mission to provide opportunities for all students to use esports as a platform to acquire the STEM/STEAM-based skills and critical communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in work and in life. NASEF is the anchor of the World Wide Scholastic Esports Foundation, a nonprofit umbrella entity formed to support NASEF’s global expansion along with other international partners. Find NASEF at NASEF.org and on Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.