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SAPULPA — A group of six teenagers, in teams of three, strapped themselves into rocket-powered cars with the simple goal of scoring the most points in a soccer match.

The physics of the situation were not what one might expect. Gravity was trivial, and the force of a rocket car hitting a soccer ball was lower than one might think.

Those teenagers, students at Sapulpa High School, were trying out for their schools’ esports team. They were playing Rocket League, an odd game in which players drive rocket-powered cars to compete in a soccer match. Sapulpa is one of at least 10 districts participating in the Oklahoma eSports League.

“I think they were mainly waiting to make sure it wasn’t going to fall off like in the ‘90s,” Kyle Mitchell, an 11th grader, said. “Maybe it’ll help motivate students to keep their grades up.”

Esports have not fallen off. It has become a rich industry backed by major tech companies and internet startups. Colleges will recruit skilled gamers out of high school. Professional teams recruit college students and sometimes high school students. Mitchell said he’s pursuing esports as another avenue for scholarships, hoping that it can fund his education at Oklahoma State University.