Inaugural College Esports Season Begins for Archers

A week after the ribbon was ceremoniously cut to formally open St. Louis Community College’s esports arena, the team officially began competition. There was no ceremonial first pitch, as you might find in baseball or the memorable coin toss in football. But there were nerves.

“We were finally able to get the butterflies out,” said esports coordinator Robert Cruz. “Many of our players had moments of excitement and nervousness as this was their first stint in a competitive setting. However, they overcame their limits and mental states to showcase their hard work and drudge through the adversity of each match.”

That hard work paid off. For the first week of the season, they went 6-2 across all titles.

“Honestly, at first, I was worried we would get destroyed,” said Benjamin Barmack, one of the Overwatch players. He said he was worried about STLCC being placed in the tier 1 division alongside many of the top-ranked community colleges on the east coast. But after a successful first match, he said he thinks the Archers esports program could go far in their inaugural season.

“Being at the ribbon cutting gave me a level of realization,” said Overwatch player Xander Hibbitts. “It allowed me to realize the program’s significance and true value to not only those who have passion in the sport but to others excited to see a new program added to the growing community.”

What is Esports?

If you are not familiar with esports, that may be because the first officially recognized college-sponsored varsity esports program in the country launched just ten years ago. But since then, it’s become a rapidly growing sport, with more than 170 colleges and thousands of student-athletes now participating across the country.

“Esports, in its simplest form, is competitive gaming,” Cruz said. “No longer are we in the days of video games being exclusively a leisure activity; it’s now both a career opportunity and means to develop key life skills.”

Esports can feature team-oriented games as well as single-player games. Although millions of people play these games globally, the top performers play in front of audiences that run into the millions.

The STLCC Archers esports team will compete in four individual games:

• Valorant
• Overwatch 2
• Super Smash Bros: Ultimate
• Street Fighter 6

The regular season consists of competition in at least one of the games nearly every weeknight.

Collegiate National Championships

As college esports continues to expand, collegiate national championships offer a platform for teams to compete at the highest levels. Organizations such as the National Association of Collegiate Esports and the Electronic Gaming Federation host varsity competitions across various game titles, showcasing the best collegiate talent.

 For STLCC's Archers, the goal of competing in these tournaments serves as a long-term aspiration. But for now the team is focused on building a solid foundation during their inaugural season with the hope of establishing a standout esports program in the St. Louis region in the years to come.  

Building a Program

Starting an esports program doesn’t happen overnight. Much planning went into developing the team before the inaugural season got underway. First and foremost, a space was needed for the team to practice and compete.

Over the course of nine months, the multi-purpose room at STLCC-South County was renovated to become the new home of Archers esports. The space includes:

• 16 PC stations for students
• Two PC stations for coaches
• Several gaming devices, including Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5
• Video wall for live streaming
• Strategizing areas to prepare for matches

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, STLCC’s Chancellor, Jeff L. Pittman, PhD, recognized the esports team as a necessary addition that meets the college's evolving needs.

“Esports draws millions of viewers and participants worldwide,” Pittman said. “It offers countless career opportunities in technology, business and marketing. It encourages teamwork, critical thinking and strategic problem-solving skills that translate into future success for our students.”

At the ceremony, the STLCC esports team presented Pittman with a jersey signed by the entire team.

“Knowing the crowd was there for the esports program was very cool,” said Barmack. “I enjoyed seeing the pull that esports is starting to develop, and I look forward to the future of this program.”

Building a Team

Building a new program is challenging enough. But within that program, a coach is looking to build not just a collection of talented players but a true team.

“I’m going to try and instill the principle that this isn’t just a team to compete, but a chance to build friendships and relationships with individuals that you’re going to take with you for your life,” Cruz said.

Super Smash Bros: Ultimate player Austin Trieber said his goal for the season is to make friends, improve his abilities in his competitions, and improve his communication skills with those around him.

Cruz says that humans are still social creatures in an ever-evolving online world.

“Physical and social relationships have driven us to do great things throughout history,” Cruz said. “Although most relationships in esports are virtual online communities, it’s ever important for us to derive meaningful physical, social relationships that create experiences we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.”

“I am honored to be a part of STLCC’s inaugural esports team,” Barmack said. “It has been a challenging experience that demands much of my time and attention—but that is exactly what I have been looking for. It has been extremely rewarding, and I have made many strong friendships through this program.”

“Being on the team has been a great experience in building relationships with not only my coach but also my teammates,” Trieber said. “It’s definitely a learning experience for all involved, being a new program and all, but at the end of the day, isn’t that what the program is about—learning and adapting?”

Where to Follow for More

To learn more about the Archers esports team and all STLCC sports, visit archersathletics.com. The team also hosts a Twitch channel and Discord.