Apr. 11—CHEYENNE — Laramie County Community College has introduced a new sport to its list of programs — electronic sports, or esports.
Esports is the playing of video games in a competitive, organized manner. The games can be played individually or with teammates. The type of console games are played on varies based on the athlete’s interests, along with the games.
LCCC has been attempting to get the program up and running for close to a year, but had to take a step back because of COVID-19. Discussions about a potential team started in the spring of 2019 and it was decided by the esports committee that the best way to test the waters would be to create an esports club.
The responses were immediately encouraging and it became one of the fastest growing clubs on campus, allowing for the decision to be made for the newest sport to be launched in the upcoming fall.
“When the idea was first presented, I was just excited that something so modern was being embraced so well by the LCCC administration,” esports advisor Richard Walsh said. “It’s the modern thing for us to do to try and attract students and give them an opportunity to participate in a new team sport.”
One thing that comes with the new program is the amount of different interests that are available. Different consoles and different games allow for a wide range of interests and draws more athletes to the club and to try out for the future team.
“With video games, there’s very rarely holding anyone back that’s interested in it,” esports advisor Troy Amick said. “It was interesting to me that people gravitated toward their own interest (in the club), but because of the diversity, the gaming club was a great first step and was a great resource to see that (diversity).”
LCCC will join more than 80 two-year schools across the country that already have an esports team. There will be scholarships available for student-athletes and there is still a search going on for the head coach of the program.
With more than 30 students currently in the club, something that’s been apparent is confidence is generated and grows among players.
“In addition to learning how to collaborate and work together, there’s a big piece of growing confidence that is one of the things I see,” Amick said. “Being part of something more and learning that they don’t need to rely on others, others will rely on them helps create a sense of responsibility that they might not have had before.”
Walsh included that the ages of the esports club range from ages 17-35. That alone provides another aspect of the widespread offerings the sport provides.
“We talk about inclusion and we talk about people who aren’t normally participants,” said Amick, confirming the provided opportunities. “You don’t need to be 18 years old straight out of high school to be competitive. It’s inclusive across ability and age groups and it speaks a lot for its ability to have something for everyone.”
It’s a big step for LCCC that will attract more student-athletes and allows them to get involved in one of the biggest emerging sports there is.
“It’s a huge thing that’s going to be great for our students and our institution,” Walsh said.
Robert Munoz is a writer for WyoSports. He can be reached at rmunoz@wyosports.net. Follow him on Twitter @rmunoz307.
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