Time is the most valuable resource. Giving up time to help others is like throwing money in a well. Very few people are willing to give up their time for others, and the ones who do, rarely receive anything in return. Mr. Stilp is willing to give up his time to help the Arrowhead Esports team and I believe that he deserves more than a simple thank you.

Esports is a relatively new concept few schools understand. Many people will never see video games as a real sport but to gamers it is. We find the same enjoyment out of video games that people find out of physical sports and we love competing. 

I joined esports last year because I had friends and was hoping to find more people with the same interests. Not only did I find new friends that made my junior and senior year my best high school years, but I found a passion I hadn’t had before. 

After hearing that our esports coach was leaving Arrowhead, I was worried other students may not be able to find the passion I did. I was confident that no other teacher would be willing to take on the responsibilities of running a club full of gamers.

  Walking in for the first esports practice last year I was shocked to see Mr. Stilp. Mr. Stilp, who was just hired as a Family and Consumer Education teacher, decided to give up a portion of his free time to help our team out. After having Mr. Stilp as my Food and Nutrition teacher, I knew the magnitude of effort he put into making his classes fun and educational. Mr. Stilp did not need more commitments, and yet, he was here. 

Mr. Stilp learned very quickly that the games we play are nothing like the ones he enjoys. It was as if he signed up to coach kickball but when it showed up the students were playing baseball. Mr. Stilp had never got into the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre. MOBA games can be hard to understand, but instead of quitting, he was patient enough to take on the responsibilities. A saw his patience tested in Food and Nutrition and in esports, but I have not yet seen it falter. The virtue is rare, but it is one that we all appreciate. 

I walked into esports just this Wednesday and saw Mr.Stilp getting work done on a computer. We had a doubleheader of games that day and ended up staying at school from 2:30 to 6:00. Instead of getting irritated that our games were taking so long, he waited patiently for us to finish. I told him to have a great day as we left and he smiled back returning the gesture. I hope that Mr. Stilp gets a wish for all of the time that he has put in the well.