“In eighth grade, everyone was playing Rainbow 6 Siege and we just weren’t good enough, so we picked up this new game called Rocket League and it’s been a great journey since,” recounted Kael Oosterbaan after the Worthington Christian's inaugural Rocket League championship win against Lima Shawnee High School.
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| 2021 Fortnite Team |
This year was the first year for Worthington Christian’s eSports program and a successful first year at that. Mrs. Cain, the technology director, decided to request an eSports team for WCS after attending technology conferences and gauging student interest. Dr. Buzz approved the program wholeheartedly, and WCS’s first club seasons of Fortnite and Rocket League began. The teams played under eSports Ohio, or ESO, during the spring season. Cain remarked, “I wasn’t sure what to expect for the first season, in terms of logistics or skill levels. I have been so pleased with our results in state standings.” The league has multiple levels (club, junior varsity, and varsity). WCS started off at the club level in its initial season but is looking to move up the ranks for the coming season, according to Cain.
Keegan Oberbrunner, a captain on the Fortnite team, already had a successful Fortnite YouTube channel and Twitch streaming channel before the season started. He plays Fortnite live and makes highlight compilations. “As a captain, I feel like I can help our team come together and coordinate to win our games,” stressed Oberbrunner, in an interview. He also talked about how he feels like the real-time chat via the Twitch app gives him the opportunity to connect with people who support him throughout the globe. He hopes that his pre-established platforms will assist him in the world of eSports as a career.
Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, provides a flourishing competitive and community-focused experience in the realm of eSports. The competitive side includes scholarships for Overwatch and League of Legends, as well as other tournaments and competitions. The community side includes casual tournaments on campus and other activities. Over 39% of students enrolling at GCU listed eSports as their deciding factor, according to Mr. Albert Lee, the eSports department supervisor. As far as careers in eSports, every job is unique. Having a pre-established platform or fanbase assists you greatly, as well as practical experience in the competitive field. Experience and creations are number one when it comes to the world of eSports.
eSports is still a very much unproven field of work when it comes to the certainty of employment, but it offers a new way for people to do what they love for a living, as well as a way for people to connect in a fun, competitive environment.
~Kavan O'Neil
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