SPORTS EDITOR – OTONIEL GONZALEZ
ORIGINALLY PRINTED ON FEB 2, 2023
The term e-sport, short for electronic sport, refers to video game competitions. Much like other sporting events, players perform before live audiences and broadcast games online. Esports events go all the way back to the 1980s, when gaming tournaments took place in arcades. It’s one of the world’s fastest growing industries in the world. Content creation that started as a simple hobby, an activity where individuals have a great time with friends and family, has become a sport with high levels of competition. One of the most popular games in the last decade, Fortnite, held such a competition where top players came together to play for the chance to win from $50,000 up to $3,000,000. It is undeniable that esports has grown exponentially in the last few years, and the trend will continue to grow.
In Fall 2020, St. Mary’s athletics launched an esports program offering students the opportunity to compete in esports competitions. In fact, St. Mary’s was the first university to implement such a program in San Antonio. In March 2020, they hired Caitlyn Teniente as the head coach of the esports program. Almost one year later, she became the director and continued to support her team as a head coach. The team consists of four assistant coaches: Carolina, Sergio Ramirez, Tiffany and Arana; They assist the students in the Fortnite, League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege teams and oversee recruitment. Their focus is to mentor the students, while focusing on their academic and personal goals. In an interview with the Rattler Newspaper, Coach Teniente stated the student will always come before athlete, emphasizing the importance of each member’s mental and academic preparation.
The esports program consists of five teams: Call of Duty, Fortnite, League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege and Rocket League. The esports department now plans to create a Valorant team for next semester, aiming to recruit seven athletes. The esports athletes have practice two to three times a week consisting of video reviews, gameplay and strategy planning sessions. The department has a workout schedule similar to other sports which includes a study hall schedule structured for academic success. The team played in an organized league through an esports conference, which is typically five to seven weeks long. Similarly, to other sports, the esports team must qualify for playoffs in order to have a chance to win the championship. The esports year consists of two seasons: one in the fall semester and the other during spring. A key difference that Coach Teniente pointed out is the environment in which the competition takes place. She stated that esports athletes face the same challenges as every other student athlete, trying to handle the weight of the academic workload and training schedules simultaneously. Despite the challenges each team member face, they are able to preserve and produce great results. Last semester, the St. Mary’s Rainbow Six Siege and Halo teams went to the grand finale.
Coach Teniente is not distracted by people who don’t appreciate esports. She states that “everyone can have an opinion” and respects people who are not into esports. She remains focused on her students and the support from staff, coaches, social media and broadcast. Coach Teniente expressed that “the most important skill to have to be successful in the e-sports program is for the individual to play out well in a team setting, since all esports titles are team-based.” The esports program is not about going pro, but instead is about finding the value in what each student learns from being a part of the team and what they take with them in the future.