New Vice Presidential candidate endorses high school Valorant team

Tim Walz, the newly announced US Vice Presidential candidate, made history by endorsing a high school Valorant team, a first in American election history.

In the world of esports, it is not common for a politician, especially a potential leader, to publicly support a team. However, South Korea’s President recently broke this trend by congratulating T1 on their fourth victory at Worlds.

Tim Walz, who was recently announced as Kamala Harris’ running mate for the 2024 US election, has made history by becoming the first candidate on the US Presidential ticket to show support for esports.

Feels a bit different now knowing we are the first and only esports team endorsed by the new VP candidate @GovTimWalz – we are still working on growing esports in our state and nation! https://t.co/ANbVcl81gb

— Apple Valley High School Esports (MN) (@AVHSEsports) August 6, 2024

In July of 2022, the Minnesota Varsity League State Championship was won by the Valorant team from Apple Valley High School, who had an undefeated season.

The governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, sent a letter to congratulate the team on their achievement, acknowledging their win.

“As esports gains popularity, I am immensely proud of your efforts to increase participation in esports at Apple Valley High School and throughout Minnesota,”stated Walz in his letter. “Your leadership is instrumental in turning a pastime into a possibly life-changing profession within the emerging field of sports.”

Apple Valley also acknowledged their distinction as the sole esports team to be endorsed by a Vice Presidential candidate, reaffirming their commitment to expanding the presence of esports within their state.

The school’s Twitter account shared that it felt strange to be the only esports team endorsed by the new VP candidate.

The International Olympic Committee’s approval of the Olympic Esports games could open doors for more traditional titles such as Valorant to be recognized as legitimate sports in the broader sports community in the near future.