“Getting these kids out of their houses, off of Discord, where they're playing with their friends and learning sportsmanship and being part of a team is super important," Clerke said. "I think the natural progression is that we have to factor college into the path. It doesn't have to be the path to pro but can run parallel to it."

Clerke feels a certain passion for growing the sport in his backyard.

"I want to give the St. Louis area something they can be really happy and prideful about. We can be a mecca for this," Clerke said. "We have an advantage over New York and Los Angeles because of our central location. Most servers are based in the Midwest. This is the best place for someone to grind and become the best player. I just hope through building up high schools we can have a sustainable grassroots ecosystem here in St. Louis."

Miller said esports already has become a path to college for many students. Six Howell Central esports players had scholarship offers totaling $400,000 last year.

Two Spartans, Alex Pendel and George Schlotzhauer accepted offers to play Overwatch at Central Methodist University.