Interview: Oskaloosa Middle School Game Club

We interviewed Mr. Fash at Oskaloosa Middle School who runs the game club alongside with Mr. Jenkinson. Mr. Fash has been playing UniVersus since the release of My Hero Academia and he introduced the game to his students.

The game club started out with only a few students last fall but now they have over 20 club members. Mr. Fash says its a great social outlet, helps integrative thinking, develops math and reading skills, and actually increase overall academic performance for the students!

"Many students who struggle socially seem to find connections in our game club as well. It's rewarding to see kids find such a cool hobby that creates such a welcoming environment that also helps keep students engaged in wanting to learn. As a kid I was heavily involved in TCG's which greatly helped both my academic performance and social skills. That being said I am a firm believer that TCG's and learning through games creates a very positive academic and social experience. "

Mr. Fash plays regularly at Mayhem Comics in Des Moines, IA and has a very special tie to the club:
"Having gone to Mayhem for several tournaments and events which have always provided a positive and welcoming experience. The staff and gaming community are always more than generous and welcoming, going as far as donating cards to paying the tournament entry fees for all the kids for the Oskaloosa game club."

We asked him, how and what he did to grow the club:
-"I brought various games to demo with the kids and got the most positive response for UVS (specifically My Hero Academia format). Our game club grew to roughly 16 regular people by the end of the year. This year we have well over 20 students who regularly come to game clubs to play and have organized structured league play with occasional tournaments. Getting the game club has been a great experience for the kids as we live in a small town where access to TCG products and venues can only be purchased at Walmart or online and our nearest play venue is Mayhem Comics which is over an hour drive away." 

We also got some quotes from the students, too!
"The art on the character cards is amazing! The customizing of the decks is amazing as well. There are lots of options with many characters to choose from. There are so many ways to build decks to your liking! It's fun to experiment with different types of decks until you find what you like!" from Miranda

"I didn't really even know about MHA before my friends introduced me to it, and now I'm TOTALLY HOOKED on it! I like it because there are so many diverse character personalities and you can find a lot of people you relate to (I really like Froppy and Deku!!!) That's why I like My Hero." from Noelle

We thank Mr. Fash and Mayhem Comics for providing such a great experience to these students!

If you or your school is interested in running a club with UniVersus CCG, please contact us:
LGS@uvsgames.com