MARIAH MOORE
This year is the first year in which the FHSU Esports club was officially recognized as a team sport. This is a large leap for the club as this means there are opportunities for scholarships, as well as an active season of competitive play.
The breakdown of the club composition is currently a team of Overwatch, Rainbow Six, Hearthstone, League of Legends, and Call of Duty players – making the club approachable for gamers of any variety.
The club has been given the ability to disperse scholarships to the key members of the club, including key players and those heavily involved in club activities. Those granted scholarships are also required to complete a class over Video Game theory. This is another huge step for the club, as this class could be useful for those wanting to go down a career path centered around video games, or even those who have an interest in the ideas presented in the class.
Several members of the club have expressed happiness and enthusiasm towards both the scholarships and the class being offered.
“I think that by offering these scholarships, we are really opening up more opportunities for people to want to join, said club member Taylor Sarratt. “It’s incentive for working hard and putting effort into the club. I think this past year ESports has really become something which is gaining a lot of interest, and with how we are working, even during COVID-19, ESports is accessible to a lot of people. I think it’s going to keep growing.”
He also offered his opinion on the club as an extracurricular activity:
“ I think it is great, not even just for people who are involved in technology degrees, but really anyone who is interested in gaming, or even team building,” Sarratt said. “It is such a good enrichment factor for anyone who wants to dabble in video games in the future, whether it is design, or coding, being around it all is definitely going to have a positive impact on anyone wanting to pursue that.”
Accessibility is one of the most mentioned things when discussing ESports in the current world climate, and the FHSU team has really taken to making the club as smooth-running and easily accessible as they can in order to allow members peace of mind without dismantling the connections which they made prior to COVID-19 restrictions.
The members of each team meet regularly for practice, where they all join a voice call and discuss strategies, game schedules, and other related topics. The club was built for online interactions, and is thriving even under these circumstances. There is talk about moving the TigerLan event online this year, as there is still a huge want for the event to continue this semester.
Getting involved with the Esports club is very simple, however, potential members may have to wait until spring to join the club, as team events have already begun. Those who want to follow the Esports team, as well as be updated on all related events are encouraged to follow their instagram page: @fhsu_esports.