One of the rising trends in sports has come to Winthrop University and it has the potential to place Winthrop in some new territory to make strides in.
Winthrop University has announced the formation of a varsity esports team that will begin competing in video game tournaments this fall. The formation of an esports team is a part of the Winthrop Plan, which focused on improving our university this year. Members of the team will be meeting in Owens G06 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. The Winthrop esports team will be one of three schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division The recently hired Winthrop esports coach, Joshua Sides, noted that the plans for the first season would help put Winthrop University on the map for esports competitions.
“The main goal for the first season is to establish ourselves as a national competitor in collegiate esports. To be able to make a name for ourselves in this new and emerging field is very important. In addition to that, we would like to help continue the development of our student athletes, both in their respective games, and in the classroom,” said Sides.
One of the main draws of an on-campus esports team is that it allows incoming graduate students like business administration major Tony Chau, who transferred from Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri on an esports scholarship as a two-time League of Legends national championship winner. Chau has an understanding of how the esports team can positively affect Winthrop.
“One of the biggest appeals of esports is that it’s up-and-coming, and know that “League of Legends” is getting tons of advertisement, there are a lot of people getting into it,” said Chau.
Planning for the formation of the varsity esports team occurred during the spring 2019 semester, with the university ordering equipment and recruiting Sides from St. Ambrose University to help prepare for reaching out to potential recruits.
“Recruitment for our esports team started back in April. We had a long span of tryouts online with many highly skilled individuals who were interested in joining and narrowed it down to the individuals we thought would be the best fit for the teams we are building here,” said Sides.
Most of the practices during meetings include playing video games such as “League of Legends” and “Overwatch.” Members of the team are encouraged to practice on their own to work on their assigned roles such as playing offense or support, while the coaches point out what can be improved on in future practices and tournaments.
“When it comes to strategy, we play three rounds at our meetings and our coach points out what he thought we did good on and what we did poorly on so we can improve,” said Chau.
The inclusion of the esports team adds a level of diversity in both the Winthrop Athletic program and the student body for students to interact with common interest in video games.
“It is something that a good number of high school and college aged individuals are interested in and with Winthrop bringing a varsity team to their campus it shows that this university understands that, and wants to add to its student culture something they are deeply interested in.” said Sides.
The upcoming tournaments our esports team will participate in, will not only bring attention to Winthrop University, but also to the South as an area of potential for the esports scene.
“When it comes to the South, it’s been classified as one of the worst places for esports. With Winthrop coming into the feature, that won’t be the case anymore,” said Chau.
Sides expressed his excitement as the coach for Winthrop’s first entry into the esports phenomenon, all to help bring the Winthrop University varsity team as a formidable foe against other schools across the country.
“I am so excited to be working with a campus and administration that understands and appreciates the growing market of esports and one that is ambitious to be a major player in that market. All that combined with being back near my home, in a region that is near and dear to me have me very excited about being the Head Coach here at Winthrop,” said Sides.
The first event that the Winthrop esports team will participate in is the Harrisburg University Esports Invitational in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Sept. 19-22. And with a lot of practice and hard work, the Winthrop esports team is hoping to pull off a resounding victory in both tournaments.
“We have a good Overwatch and League of Legends team, so we’re hoping to win the South Conference in both games,” said Chau.
