HOWELL, Mich. (AP) — Jarod Ericksen has always loved video games and recently turned his passion for gaming into a career. He now wants to extend that opportunity to future Cleary University students.
Cleary hired Ericksen in February to be the head coach of his new esports team — a group of athletes who play video games competitively, the Livingston Daily reports.
Esports is one of the fastest growing sports in college athletics. There were fewer than 10 teams in 2016 and today there are nearly 200, according to the National Association of Collegiate Esports.
As a member of NACE, Cleary’s athletes will compete in tournaments against esports teams across the country. Ericksen also works with other Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference coaches to organize conference tournaments.
Ericksen embarked on several different careers, including coaching football, teaching piano lessons, and working in a hair salon. But one passion Ericksen always had was video games. And it was good for them too; he was ranked in the top 1% of players in League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm, two battle arena games where teams of players attempt to destroy other teams’ bases.
He considered becoming a professional esports athlete. Professional players earn their living by winning prizes in competitions, signing with a professional team or obtaining sponsorships.
But instead, Ericksen decided to focus on esports coaching. He tutored privately, started a coaching company, and eventually started working at a junior college in Illinois as a coach for his new esports team.
This spring, he moved to Michigan to take up a full-time position as Cleary’s esports coach.
As he begins to draw up plans for the team and its new training and tournament facilities, Ericksen is trying to recruit 15 athletes to join the esports team and is offering partial scholarships to those who are. selected.
“There are tons of kids there, and probably tons of kids playing video games,” Ericksen said. “Through this program, they can do what they would otherwise – play video games – but be part of something bigger and earn money to go to school.”
Cleary’s esports team will compete in four games: League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, and Hearthstone. League of Legends and Overwatch are team-based strategy games, Rocket League is a sports game with rules similar to soccer, and Hearthstone is an online multiplayer card game.
Prospective athletes can be of any skill level – although Ericksen said they should at least have some experience in the game they choose to compete in.
Athletes are required to attend practices several times a week, as well as team training sessions with Cleary athletic trainers. Ericksen said he follows a “healthy body, healthy mind” philosophy, so he wants his athletes to be physically fit, just like other athletes on campus.
Not only is the team a good way for Cleary to recruit college students, but Ericksen hopes to induct academics into the team. Students interested in sports management or marketing may benefit from competing or assisting with the team.
Construction is just beginning on a practice and tournament facility at Cleary Commons – one of the main buildings on campus. Ericksen said the team’s new eports home will include 24 computer stations and a viewing gallery with multiple television screens for spectators to watch competitions.
Ericksen recruits athletes locally in high schools and around the world online. He hopes to find students who love video games and want to earn a college degree in competition. Athletes must be undergraduates, but may be of any age or gender.
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