Lindsay Thurber esports students dominate global stage

The Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School Esports Club is making waves, with its students climbing the global ranks of Rocket League - one of the world’s most competitive video games.

Colten Kilpatrick, a Grade 12 student, Ejhisen Tabilisma and Ethan Kuhn, both Grade 11 students, are proving that gaming isn’t just for fun - it’s a battleground for skills, strategy and success.

“I’m currently in the top 500 in Canada and the top 3,000 in the world,” said Colten, adding that Rocket League currently has approximately 90 million active players.

Rocket League, a high-octane fusion of soccer and rocket-powered cars, demands precision, teamwork, and split-second decision-making in which players control flying, boosting, and flipping vehicles to score goals in gravity-defying fashion. More than just a game, it fosters critical skills like strategic thinking, teamwork, effective communication, problem-solving, and resilience - qualities that extend far beyond the virtual field.

The Lindsay Thurber Esports Club, coached by Teachers Dan Mills and Alayne Baggaley, competes through Generation Esports, an international organization that runs competitive leagues and tournaments for schools that have students competing against other teams/students from across North America. To date, the teams have competed against players all over the United States, Canada and Mexico. The club not only provides a platform for competition, but also strives to foster and develop leadership, teamwork and STEM skills. Students in the club are also actively encouraged to maintain a balanced approach to their school work and classes with an emphasis on successfully completing their classes and course work.

Their achievements have drawn comparisons to elite athletes. “What these students are accomplishing is the equivalent of playing on an NHL team while still attending high school,” said Dan, adding the team has competed in nine international tournaments this year and have claimed first place in eight of them.

For Ejhisen, joining the Esports Club was a natural expression of his passion for gaming. Colten, on the other hand, was hooked from the moment he started playing. His dedication has landed him a spot on Nat 5, a professional esports team in Canada. “We recently played in the North American qualifier with 1,100 teams - and we placed 100th,” he said. The North American Qualifier sends the top 64 teams to compete for a position at the RLCS World finals which awards a prize pool of more than $1.1 million annually.

Colten’s esports success has also opened doors for his future. This fall, he will head to Spring Arbor University in Michigan on a scholarship, where he’ll compete on a collegiate Rocket League team while studying graphic design. Ejhisen has big plans, too - after graduating in 2026, he will pursue a career in medicine.

With their talent, drive, dedication and ambition, these Lindsay Thurber esports students are proving that gaming is more than just a pastime - it’s a pathway to a successful future.