From 1 Esports Club to 5 CTE Courses at Old Bridge HS

Story of OBHS: Expanding CTE Pathways Through Esports

Location: Old Bridge Township Public Schools - New Jersey | Grades: 6-12 | Type: Comprehensive High School  | Size: 2659

Old Bridge High School is a fully comprehensive high school offering a wide range of Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways,  from film and TV to computer science, business, journalism, and woodworking. Despite this breadth, the leadership recognized a persistent gap: a significant group of students were not connecting with traditional

sports or existing CTE courses.

The goal was to launch something new that aligns with career readiness, builds belonging, and connects to real-world skills. That “something new” was scholastic esports.

“I have students say that this is the reason they come to school each day. And you can't beat that. There is no medicine for that." - Sally Fazio , Principal

The Team Leading Esports at Old Bridge High School

Sally Fazio, Principal

From the start, Principal Fazio viewed esports as more than an extracurricular activity. She saw its potential within the high school curriculum and the broader CTE education framework.

“Esports naturally builds collaboration and digital citizenship, which are essential skills in fields like marketing, coding, and content creation. It’s not just about playing games, even though that’s what many people assume. It’s really about teamwork, communication, and most importantly, leadership, especially here in our program.” - Sally Fazio , Principal

Robert Weiss, Esports Teacher & Coach (and OBHS Alumnus)

Being a gamer himself, Robert Weiss taught himself streaming, screen recording, and video editing out of personal curiosity, like many other gamers. In high school, that passion led him to courses in computer repair, programming, and graphic design. He earned a bachelor's degree in history and began his teaching career. He later pursued a master's degree in technology education and online learning. 

Today, he teaches five sections of Esports 1 and Esports 2 across middle and high school.

“These courses use gaming as a platform to provide students with hands-on experience connected to STEM and technical career pathways. In addition to career exploration, we emphasize healthy gaming habits, teamwork, communication and digital citizenship. “ Robert Weiss, Esports Teacher & Coach

Impact Spotlight: Boosting Attendance and Student Engagement with Esports

Principal Sally Fazio discusses the results and what made the difference:

The Challenge: Engaging Students Disconnected from Traditional Learning 

Old Bridge High School has always maintained high academic standards and a diverse CTE

program. But like many schools, they faced an ongoing challenge: some of the students had not yet found their entry point.

These were students who were not drawn to traditional sports, did not connect with existing CTE courses, and lacked the sense of belonging that keeps kids showing up and investing in their education.

School leaders wanted a program that could strengthen student engagement, support career technical education, and integrate smoothly into their existing digital infrastructure.

Why Old Bridge Adopted Gameplan

Old Bridge initially partnered with Garden State Esports, a Gameplan partner, for competition. After a year, they were introduced to Gameplan.

Principal Fazio recalls:

“We were so impressed with how user-friendly, structured, and adaptable the platform was, especially for our growing program.”

Gameplan stood out for several reasons: 

• A clear scope and sequence that allows teachers to plan weeks in advance with a cohesive structure

• Flexible, customizable lesson structures, grading formats, and content selection

• Centralized management of lessons, assignments, assessments, grades, and resources in one place

• Support for diverse learning styles, grade levels, and skill levels

• Seamless integration with existing Chromebook and Microsoft infrastructure

“Gameplan has provided a clear scope and sequence, allowing me to plan weeks in advance while maintaining a cohesive theme and structure while progressing throughout the school year.” - Robert Weiss, Esports Teacher & Coach

Implementation: From 1 to 5 Courses

Phase 1: Piloting an Esports Class in High School

The school piloted Gameplan in existing esports classes. The implementation was seamless due to chromebook compatibility and integration with existing LMS’s.

Robert Weiss utilized Gameplan to centralize lessons, assignments and assessments. This allowed him to focus on instruction rather than logistics, using games to strengthen learning and teach technical skills. 

“Student engagement is consistently high because students feel personally connected to the subject matter. As a result, students in my class have demonstrated stronger participation, deeper discussion and improved retention compared to a more traditional setting.”  - Robert Weiss, Esports Teacher & Coach

Phase 2: Expanding from Club to Full CTE Courses

What began as one after-school program grew into five formal high school elective courses. Esports 1 and Esports 2 are now offered at both the high school and middle school levels, allowing Weiss to collaborate with district middle schools and bring esports education to younger students. Esports 3 is already in planning for the coming year.

Students began: 

• Asking for more time to improve projects 

• Exploring advanced editing tools independently 

• Developing stronger peer relationships

“Gameplan supports diverse learning across different grade levels, abilities, and learning styles. Students genuinely enjoy the work that they're doing." - Robert Weiss, Esports Teacher & Coach

Hear directly from Robert Weiss:

Results: Building Workforce-Ready Skills Through Esports

The outcome at Old Bridge goes well beyond participation numbers. 

• Improved attendance: students who previously struggled to show up regularly now have a compelling, personal reason to be in school every day.

• Greater academic motivation: students are proactively working to maintain their grades in order to remain eligible for esports.

• Stronger peer relationships: the collaborative nature of esports has built meaningful bonds between students who might not otherwise have connected.

• Student leadership development: the program has surfaced and grown leaders with students who had the potential but not yet the opportunity to step into those roles.

• School spirit and community: esports has become a source of pride, with growing enthusiasm from families and staff who were initially uncertain about the program.

“We've seen improvement in attendance, greater motivation to maintain grades and much stronger peer relationships.” - Sally Fazio , Principal

“Students say Gameplan makes learning relevant and enjoyable while building skills in communication, media production, teamwork, and career readiness.” - Robert Weiss, Esports Teacher & Coach

Key Takeaways for Administrators and Educators

• Start with student passion: esports meets students where they already are, channeling existing interests into structured, skill-based learning with real career pathways.

• Align to your school's mission: eligibility standards and program goals can be customized to match any school's academic expectations and existing CTE framework.

• Invest in stakeholder education: community support grows once families and staff understand that esports is about leadership, digital citizenship, and career readiness, not just gaming.

• Scale at your own pace: Old Bridge started with one pilot class and grew organically

• Gameplan works for established programs too: even schools with existing esports initiatives can benefit from the platform's centralized management and curriculum depth.

“Gameplan is an excellent starting point for educators or districts looking to start and launch an esport curriculum. It provides comprehensive resources across multiple levels and subjects within esports education. Even schools with established programs can benefit from integrating Gameplan to enhance structure, consistency, and depth." - Robert Weiss, Esports Teacher & Coach

Exploring Esports as Part of Your CTE Program?

If you’re exploring how to improve student engagement, strengthen CTE pathways, or launch an esports curriculum, Old Bridge High School’s journey offers a replicable model.

Book time with us to learn how Gameplan can support your school's career readiness goals, student engagement strategies, and CTE pathways.