Level Up, Game On: College opens Esports Training and Research Center
Level Up, Game On: College opens Esports Training and Research Center
Level Up, Game On: College opens Esports Training and Research Center
By JR Herman
May 4, 2021
Summary
Newby believes the implementation of esports into the academic curriculum is important for the College as a leading research university, and he currently is w.orking to help facilitate career connections with alumni and industry leaders and create a space for independent research opportunities in esports and gaming for interested students.
Esports first began in the early 1970s, and in the last several years, esports began expanding to college campuses across the country, beginning with the formation of the National Association of Collegiate Esports in 2016.
In 2019, members of a University Teaching and Learning Project saw the benefits of potentially integrating esports into the College's curriculum and organizations, and students entering in 2019 were surveyed on their interest in the possibility of esports coming to the College.
On the applied side of esports, t.he College currently hosts a Division I esports team, partnering with the Electronic Gaming Federation, an independent esports league for high school and collegiate esports in the United States, allowing students to compete nationally.
For Esports Pioneer Tyler Standfield '22, being part of the Esports movement at the College has allowed him to learn more about esports sponsorships - granting him a unique opportunity to study business in an environment outside of the business school where he can experience firsthand the challenges and opportunities in the industry.
Standfield commends the College for being ahead of the curve in terms of offering students interested in esports opportunities to follow their passions in both an applied and academic setting, especially since the academic study of esports is still in the beginning stages nationally.
Unlike traditional sports, where athletes grow up belonging to various types of teams, and thus, have a strong working knowledge of team dynamics and strategy, most esports athletes join the team with individual experience and technical skill, but without the experience of playing esports as part of a team, which Cho notes is a different dynamic.
Reference
Herman, J. (2021, May 04). Level Up, Game On: College opens Esports Training and Research Center. Retrieved August 04, 2021, from https://flathatnews.com/2021/05/03/level-up-game-on-college-opens-esports-training-and-research-center/