2x Champion and Not Slowing Down!
Kymen Cartwright’s love for football and video games is what drew him to Madden in the first place. His hard work, strategy and dedication is what led him to becoming a back to back Madden NFL champion.
From East Kentwood High School in Michigan, Kymen has always had a love for Madden and joined his school’s esports team to see if he had what it takes to excel on a competitive level. Turns out, he most certainly did. In his first season in Spring 2022 in the PlayVS Eastern Regional league, Kymen went undefeated in both the regular season and playoffs and cruised his way to a PlayVS Regional trophy.
Determined to prove himself further, Kymen came back strong for the Fall 2022 season, this time only losing one match in the regular season but remaining undefeated in the playoffs and securing his second Eastern Regional championship. Only a sophomore, Kymen has plenty of time to continue his winning streak, and hopefully spin it into a college scholarship.
As a 2x champion, we asked Kymen to share any advice he had for other high school students looking to compete in Madden:
“You need to play a lot and watch other people play. You can learn a lot from what other good players are doing.”.
While his hard work and determination is undeniable, his support system is a big factor in his success as well. Coach Dixon, the esports coach at East Kentwood High School, gave Kymen the opportunity to play on the team and has supported him through his whole journey, a big reason why Kymen considers him to be his favorite teacher as well as coach.
We also had the pleasure of speaking with Kymen’s mother, Charlese Cartwright, on esports from a parent perspective. Both Charlese and Kymen’s father, Dennis Cartwright, show tremendous support, encouragement and love for Kymen and this journey he is on!
Charlese notes:
“Winning the championships meant the world to him! His dad is a huge part of this as well and so he's always playing the game with him and telling him how to do different plays and things like that. So it definitely means a lot to his father, myself, and Kymen as well. We will all gather in Kymen’s room and watch him!”
For the Spring 2023 season Kymen plans to have a three-peat by winning his 3rd consecutive Eastern US title. He also has his eye on the PlayVS Cup, our national tournament. Teams that win state and regional championships in the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 seasons are invited to compete in the PlayVS Cup that takes place after the end of the spring season. Kymen was eliminated in the first round of the 2022 PlayVS Cup, but is determined to go further this year, possibly even winning the whole thing.
Without this opportunity to compete in esports, Kymen knows he might not have been able to showcase his skills in a serious way. He knows his potential and is hungry to take his success to the next level!