The HFU ESport Experience
TWO TIMES A WEEK, FOR UP TO THREE HOURS AT A TIME, you can walk by the Esports Center in the Holy Family University Campus Center and see teams of students practicing in their personal training space as the University’s newest student-athletes competing in Esports.
Now in its second year of existence and third semester of competition, the program currently boasts 15 male and female participants, organized on teams, who compete locally, regionally and nationally in video games including Overwatch, Fortnight, and Call of Duty, among others. Individual gaming participation is limited to two teams.
Much like the avid bowler or pool player, who brings their own personalized equipment with them, Esports athletes often cart their own personal headsets, keyboards or controllers to practice and their once weekly competitions, to ensure that they are best prepared for competition.
The Holy Family Tigers compete as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), where they are ranked and paired against teams of similar skill levels in head-to-head matches, round-robin competition and tournaments. Competitive matches with other schools can last anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours, with tournament winners splitting small amounts of prize money.
“We treat our Esports athletes like all of our other student-athletes in every capacity,” said Collin Sibilia, who oversees the program and also serves as the head women’s volleyball coach. Sibilia is responsible for monitoring, guiding, supporting the Esport varsity athletes in their day-to-day operations. He serves as the gatekeeper of the Esports Room, handling everything from updating the expensive PCs to communicating with students, ensuring that all gaming involves respect for the equipment and that sportsmanship factors into all competitions. “It brings kids together. It is very competitive, and our athletes are happy to have the opportunity to compete in such a structured, organized format.”
Sibilia also notes that Esports has been a very much student-led addition to campus.
“The lineups, decisions and tactics, the scheduling and game strategies, all rest with the kids,” Sibilia said. “Because there is no coach, the amount of collaboration and dialogue that is needed to organize themselves is impressive. Like in any sport, everyone’s job is important to the team’s success. The Esports room has definitely provided for another group of like-minded kids to feel comfortable at HFU, which is awesome.”
When the Esports Center is not in use for practices or competition, identified HFU students, who have expressed an interest in recreational use of the gaming facility, are invited to do so.
The Holy Family program currently competes in the Varsity Plus division of NACE, but increased interest and numbers could move the Tigers to the higher division of Varsity Premiere. There is even talk that the Esport athletes may be hitting the weight room with Strength and Conditioning head coach Dylan Ferron to work on eye exercises, participate in workouts designed to improve hand and wrist strength and even some cardiovascular work to address the sustained heart rates that are often observed among Esport competitors.
A livestreaming component to the sport also allows those interested in watching the competitions to be a part of the action.
“Over 90 percent of our participants have provided positive feedback on the program,” Sibilia said. “We know that it is not healthy for kids to be playing video games for eight hours a day, but organized practice and competition several times a week is very healthy for all the reasons that sports in general are. We are happy to include this program as part of our intercollegiate athletics program.”