About Our Program
Building competitive gamers and strong community at River Valley High School
Our Mission
RVHS Esports exists to give every student at River Valley High School a competitive, educational, and community-building pathway through organized esports. We operate under the CIF Esports Initiative, aligning with CIF's "Pursuing Victory with Honor" philosophy and NASEF's education-first model.
We prioritize inclusion over exclusivity, education over pure competition, and sustainable growth over rapid expansion. Every decision filters through one question: does this serve the students?
Our vision is to build RVHS into a recognized, competitive esports program within CIF, with varsity teams in championship titles and a thriving community of players across all skill levels.
How We Compete
Part of the California esports ecosystem
CIF
The California Interscholastic Federation provides institutional authority, access to 1,600+ member schools, and championship framework. Esports is classified as an "initiative" under CIF, giving it quasi-official status alongside traditional sports.
NASEF
The Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations manages all tournament operations, rulebooks, and educational programming. An education-first 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 8,000+ member clubs and 200,000+ students worldwide.
PlayVS
The competition technology platform powering 5,500+ K-12 schools. PlayVS handles scheduling, matchmaking, anti-cheat, and result tracking. Completely free for students since Spring 2024. $100/year school site fee covers unlimited players.
Program at a Glance
49
Players
10
Teams
5
Coaches
9
Games
$0
Student Cost
Coaching Staff
5 coaches supporting our players
Gabriel Henderson
Head Coach & Faculty Advisor
PLTW Cybersecurity instructor and founder of the RVHS Esports program. Manages program operations, PlayVS administration, and coaches across multiple titles.
Noah Waid
Assistant Coach
Specializes in Rocket League strategy and player development. Coordinates scrimmage scheduling with other CIF schools.
James Wood
NASEF Liaison Coach
NASEF-affiliated coach supporting League of Legends and Smash Bros operations.
Assistant Coach
Game Coach
Supports exhibition title operations and player coordination.
Volunteer Coach
Volunteer
Community volunteer supporting recreational gaming and chess programs.
Season Structure
Two competitive seasons per academic year
NASEF Fall Open(Sep - Dec)
- 8-week regular season
- Online playoffs and virtual championships
- Preliminary/developmental season
- Enrollment opens March
(Jan - Apr)
- 9-week regular season (Jan 19 - Mar 16)
- Playoffs: April 6 - 17
- In-person Championship Finals: April 25
- The primary championship season
CIF Championship Finals
CSU Dominguez Hills, Toro Esports Academy, Carson, CA
Competitive Tiers
Something for every skill level
Championship Eligible
Top-tier competition. Eligible for CIF playoffs and championship finals.
Titles: Rocket League, SSBU, League of Legends
Developmental
Competitive play focused on growth and skill development. Available for all varsity titles.
Player development pipeline for future varsity competitors.
New & Growing
New or growing titles building participation. More relaxed competitive structure.
Titles: Marvel Rivals, Madden, Mario Kart, Fortnite, Chess, Splatoon
Key Information
School
River Valley High School, Yuba City, CA
League
CIF Esports Initiative / NASEF
Platform
PlayVS (app.playvs.com)
Student Cost
Free (zero fees since Spring 2024)
Faculty Advisor
Gabriel Henderson
Discord
(RVHS) Mr. Henderson's Server