Sitting at the desk with headphones on. Right hand clutching the mouse. Eyes glued to the computer monitor.
This is the typical atmosphere of the computer lab in Owens Hall for members of the esports team here at Winthrop. Last semester marked the start of the Winthrop esports program, and they are definitely proving their worth. The League of Legends team, under the leadership of Coach Josh Sides, is currently undefeated in the 2020 spring season.
“It’s an awesome feeling. We expected to be good, but I don’t know if anyone expected us to be this good this quickly,” Coach Sides said. “I am proud of what we have accomplished this semester and of our #6 spot on ESPN’s Collegiate League of Legends rankings.”
Even more impressive than currently being undefeated, the nation also recognized Winthrop when they made the highest ranking jump in program history, going from #18 to #6 in the ESPN College League of Legends Coaches Poll. The latest poll now has Winthrop ranked at #4, a new program high.
Sides is thoroughly enjoying his first year of coaching at Winthrop. Prior to working in Rock Hill, Sides coached esports in Iowa at St. Ambrose University. He led the team to a 5-1 mark in the College League of Legends regular season.
“I always wanted to coach, but I didn’t play sports in High School or beyond so I always thought that it wasn’t to be,” Sides said. “And then I came across job openings for Esports Head Coaching at colleges all over the country and I thought with my background in leadership and my passion for esports and coaching I should give it a shot, and I’m glad that I did.”
So far this season, the Eagles have defeated all four of their opponents in the ASU GSV 2020 esports tournament.
Starting with a 2-0 win against UT Dallas, the Eagles then went on to win against #3 Harrisburg with a 2-0 upset. This major win was then followed by a 2-0 win against Grand View and later a 2-1 win against Arizona State. This win against Arizona State pushed the team into the semi-finals of ASU GSV — one win away from making the ASU GSV Championship
The Eagles have also had three other wins in College League of Legends matchups, defeating Abilene Christian due to forfeit, and winning 2-0 against both Texas Tech and Old Dominion. And the team intends to keep this winning streak going throughout 2020.
“We try to get in as many hours of practice as possible, but we also have to take into consideration that the players are student athletes, and need to be able to balance their school and personal lives in order not to burn out,” Sides said. “Most of our practice is playing simulated games or matches against other amateur or collegiate teams (scrimmages), and then outside of practice the players have objectives to be working on in their own time.”
The Winthrop esports team has a squad for League of Legends and a squad for Overwatch. Both games have their own separate, important competitions.
“We are in the middle of our CLoL season, which is the main competition for the year for Collegiate League of Legends. Regional playoffs for that start in March, and the national tournament for it will likely be in May. Tespa, which is the main competition for the year for Overwatch, starts in 2 weeks and will run through April,” Sides said.
One of the benefits of being on the esports team is that, unlike typical sports teams such as basketball or volleyball that only play in specific seasons, esports runs all year long.
“There are always competitions and tournaments available to compete in for the most part,” Sides said. “But the Spring semester is where the most important competitions are for the year, CLoL for League of Legends and Tespa for Overwatch.”
Although “good communication skills, a strong work-ethic, the ability to accept criticism, and a positive attitude” are required like any other sport, there is one other critical quality.
“It requires a high degree of skill in your particular game, all of our players are in the top .1% of rankings in their game,” Sides said.
Being a gamer from an early age, Coach Sides “loved all types of games,” but he favored the ones where he was able to play with his younger siblings.
“Whether that was all of us gathered around a TV playing an adventure RPG like Final Fantasy, or a multiplayer game like Goldeneye or Mario Kart those were my favorite experiences gaming as a kid,” Sides said.
The success of the team has earned them a spot in the finals of the ASU GSV League of Legends Tournament. The team will travel to San Diego, CA in March to hopefully bring a victory back to South Carolina with them.
“Our main goals are to win championships in CLoL and in Tespa,” Sides said. “These are very lofty goals, given the level of competition and with us being a first year program, but if you aren’t striving for that level of success why bother?”.
Graphic: Maggie Claytor/ The Johnsonian
