Press Release - For Immediate Release - From the WSSEA board of directors
9.12.22 - Before WSSEA officially incorporated, our founders met and decided the values and beliefs we want our organization to aspire to. We wanted a foundational set of ideas that would guide our every decision to ensure we are making decisions that lived up to the high standards we set for ourselves.
Our mission is to provide opportunities for all students to grow socially, emotionally, intellectually, and professionally through esports. We believe that all middle and high school esports should be safe, accessible, and fun for all students. We believe that middle and high school esports should represent the diverse communities of WA state. From our small coastal school districts in Western Washington to the agricultural communities in Eastern Washington. From our huge suburban communities in the Puget Sound region to the system of smaller private and charter schools that complete our educational system, every school in Washington deserves an esports ecosystem that supports teachers, coaches, and students in their endeavors to use esports as a vehicle for personal growth.
It’s with this in mind we announce today that WSSEA is exiting negotiations with the WIAA/Playfly and will continue to grow Washington State esports without their support.
The WSSEA board of directors did not come to this decision lightly as we do not believe a fragmented system in Washington is beneficial for schools and students. However, the process of negotiations we have engaged in for the last 6 months followed by the most recent decisions by the WIAA and Playfly has convinced us that their leadership is not in line with WSSEA’s values and ultimately not ideal for the growth of scholastic esports in Washington state.