“e-sports have changed my life.”

And the coming year’s student president of District 186’s burgeoning program, Jackson Werts (pictured) of Southeast High School, emphasizes the “student” in “student-athlete:”

“The IHSEA partners with an organization called Stay Plugged In, which is a scouting service used by more than 200 colleges across the country.

“I am committed to using club funds to make sure every junior and senior in our program who is considering college has a Stay Plugged In account so they can earn the scholarships.

“We are well known in the IHSEA as a program others want to emulate, and I am going to make sure colleges see that, too.”

The three high schools combine to form the Springfield Capitals … and will soon enjoy an e-sports arena at Lanphier High School that the coach says will be the envy of the nation.