Guided by Director of Esports Robert Skinnion, returning Apex Legends Coach, Pat “hundredz” Kwon and newcomer VALORANT Coach Jack “Tidal” Pennington, SPIRE’s Esports program is set to have an amazing year.

SPIRE Academy is dedicated to supporting student athletes and providing them with the tools and opportunities necessary to grow and advance in the highly competitive esports arena. The school offers the latest esports academic programming including an established progression model to advance player development. This program is uniquely focused on student health and wellness, efficient training combined with a holistic academic experience to prepare students for a career in esports – or playing at the collegiate level. SPIRE also offers logistical support including a brand-new space with a capacity for up to 20 players, a content production studio room and classrooms for breakout and team sessions. 

The school continues to offer a competitive Apex Legends team, led by APEX Legends players Alex “Oragu” Rochette, Neri “Netty” Branchetti, and Bryan “BOKIIYU” Santana. There have been some growing pains with meta shifts and the obvious roster change of Bryan replacing Bertram, however, the team is putting in a tremendous amount of work to be as prepared as possible for the start of the new ALGS Circuit.

Coach hundredz states “SPIRE Apex had a strong showing in our first year, finishing 33rd overall in Challenger’s Circuit. I have been refining our team’s individual performance potential so that they can surpass the average skill floor to perform at upper levels in the ALGS. We have a talented roster with a lot of room to grow, and I’m confident my experience in competing, coaching and analytics can elevate our team to a level we have no business performing at this early in their careers. Year 2 will be a showcase of what we can offer with our program.”

This year, the campus is also welcoming VALORANT players Landon “Leone” Hawthorne, Grant “avien” Robertson, Derrick “yuno” Polk and Brady “bam” McComb. They will work together, study, train and compete at the highest levels of esports competitions. With state-of-the-art equipment, resources and facilities, SPIRE prepares these students to work together as a team while training them for high-level strategizing and gameplay.

Though new on campus the Valorant Team is wasting no time getting down business. They recently traveled to Connecticut and won the University High School Valorant SPIN Showcase. While they were there, Anna Maria College invited the team to tour their campus. Despite the success across both rosters, SPIRE Esports hopes to set the bar at levels even greater than what they have achieved so far. The year has just begun. 

Occasionally both teams can be seen live-streaming on Twitch (spireacademyesports) where you can watch some of their matches in real time. You can also find information surrounding official match dates on their Twitter page SPIRE Academy Esports (@spire_esport).

Committed to helping their student athletes achieve greatness in the competitive esports ecosystem beyond academy life. For some that includes earning scholarships to play in collegiate leagues, and for others, it means crossing that finish line into Professional Esports territory. Whichever path inspires them, SPIRE Academy has the support system and tools to help them reach their destination.