One of the important aspects of the upcoming Winthrop E-Sports team in our athletics program is how gamers can train for upcoming competitions. It relies on strategy for the players of each team, coordination in playing games on computers or consoles and their ability to work together during a match. This would ring true to Winthrop University, which will be entering the E-Sports scene this upcoming semester.
According to Winthrop Athletics, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Ken Halpin announced on April 7 that Joshua Sides will be the incoming coach from Winthrop University’s E-Sports team this fall semester. It is also reported that the first two video games that Winthrop E-Sports will be training for tournaments in are “League of Legends” and “Overwatch.” Halpin commented on Winthrop Athletics, stating that Josh’s experience will be beneficial for the formation of our new team.
“Josh brings a great entrepreneurial spirit along with his experience and expertise building a successful esports program. He’s going to be a great addition to the Winthrop community, and we can’t wait for him to get started,” said Halpin.
Sides is coming in after leading the varsity E-Sports team at St. Ambrose University, which he assisted in creating in 2018. His experience and coaching has led to his team finishing third at the Harrisburg University E-Sports Invitational and the Acer League of Legends Invitational, additional having three athletes invited to the Collegiate Esports Invitational All-Star Tournament in Chicago. When commented, Sides expressed his excitement for bring E-Sports to Winthrop. In the spring of 2019, Sides led St. Ambrose to a 21-4 record in the Tespa Overwatch regular season, which included wins over marquee programs such as Michigan State, Arizona State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State
“I am excited to have the opportunity to build one of the first E-Sports programs in Division I NCAA athletics, and I would like to thank Dr. Halpin and the members of the search committee for selecting me as the head coach for this undertaking,” said Sides.
He is an active member of the game “League of Legends” since 2010, Sides boasts extensive knowledge in both “League of Legends” and “Overwatch” as well as knowledge of leading an E-Sports team from his work in St. Ambrose.
“I understand the expectations that come along with this opportunity and will look to use my experience from creating the great program at St. Ambrose to help build an elite program at Winthrop,” said Sides.
Sides will begin his responsibilities as the Coach of Winthrop’s E-Sports team on April 17, and will begin the formation of the team in the fall 2019 semester. This will bring an interesting addition to the Winthrop Athletics program and give students a chance to participate in a trending sport.
“I am looking forward to getting on campus and getting started as a new member of the Winthrop University family,” said Sides.
To learn more about the Winthrop E-Sports Team, you can follow the official Twitter at @WinthropESports.
