Gear up for an extra fun racing experience. The Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation department is hosting a Mario Kart tournament from 6 to about 9:30 PM on November 22 at the Harris Park Community Center.
It will be a double-elimination tournament, and the cost is $10 per person, which includes food and drink. The minimum age is eight years old, but there is no maximum age limit. The first-place winner gets a $20 gift card to GameStop. The second through fourth-place winners get a $10 gift card. There are typically 20 to 24 participants, with a maximum being 32.
The tournament will have three different TVs set up, all running the Mario Kart game simultaneously. Twelve participants will play at a time. Consoles and controllers will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own controllers.
“Simply it’s fun,” says Sean Dorrance, supervisior of the event. “It’s a great activity for all ages and families to enjoy. We offer food and drinks at the event, and we make sure that every participant regardless of skill level gets the chance to participate in multiple races. Even those who don’t go far in the tournament always have a good time.”
Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation approved the eSports program just before the COVID-19 pandemic, but it didn’t have its first Mario Kart tournament until May 22. ESports were identified as a growing national trend that many departments around the country have become involved in.
“Esports is an amazing program,” Sean says. “On top of fostering friendly competition and social interaction, gaming provides good training in hand-eye coordination and has been shown as a good way to get kids interested in STEM programs. It’s a growing field that many can enjoy, and I would highly recommend anyone who has a love for gaming to give one of our tournaments a try.”
For more upcoming Missouri events, visit our events page here.
