Video gaming at Cape Central — having fun, learning life skills

Zoe Johnson is one of two girls in the boy-dominated 30-person Game Club at Terry W. Kitchen Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau.

“The boys underestimate me sometimes, not often, but I’ll joke with them and then try to beat ’em,” said Johnson, 13, a seventh grader.

“I play (video) games because it makes me happy and I enjoy the people,” she added.

Game Club founder and CJHS teacher Matt Miller, who came to the district from a similar position in Scott City, said the group is in its third year at Central.

Miller, 44, took the idea of a club to now-retired CJHS principal Carla Fee at the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

“Dr. Fee was a little surprised,” Miller said, “but what sold her initially was video gaming could be an alternative to kids sitting in the gym and being bored before school starts each day.”

There are advocates for video gaming at the highest echelons of the school district.

“Dr. (deputy superintendent Howard) Benyon is a huge supporter and he and Dr. (superintendent Neil) Glass came over to the school last year for a Pac Man tournament,” Miller said.

Zoe Johnson, 13, participates in Game Club on Wednesday at Terry W. Kitchen Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau.Jeff Long

Not advisers, coaches

Miller refers to himself as a coach, as do three other men who shepherd the kids as they play games such as Super Smash Brothers Ultimate.

“The kids learn strategy, teamwork and sportsmanship,” said coach Ryan McKinstry, adding there are real-world benefits to school-sponsored video gaming.

“Colleges and universities are developing e-sports (electronic) programs; Southeast has one,” added McKinstry, an industrial arts teacher.

“Some universities are starting to offer scholarships for the sport,” he added, “(and) that makes gaming another path into college.”

McKinstry added video gamers could be excellent trainees to fly military drones because of the coordination and dexterity required.

Eighth grader Will Moyers is part of a select group of players on CJHS’ e-sports squad, which during the school year meets three times a week.

For the first time, CJHS’ team qualified this year for e-sports playoff action.

“(Gaming) is a good distraction for me (and) I get to hang out with my friends,” said Moyers, 14, who said he personally plays video games for about four hours every day.

Zoe Johnson, 13, participates in Game Club on Wednesday at Terry W. Kitchen Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau. Moyers temporarily lowered his mask at the request of the photographer.Jeff Long

Growth

CJHS’ Game Club has been meeting in a science classroom, but in January will move to its own designated area after school in the CJHS building.

“We even have our own jerseys now,” said Miller, an art teacher at Blanchard Elementary.

Bigger picture

“When COVID hit, we were not hit as hard as the athletic teams,” Miller said, “but we still had to adapt and improvise, which are life skills you can apply anywhere.

“Kids can lose their creative side as they age but (gaming) provides endless ideas on how to tap into their imaginations,” he added.