The Rise of FLCC's eSports Program

When you think of intercollegiate athletics, your mind is probably quick to think of more traditional sports like basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, and volleyball.

But there is an intercollegiate offering at Finger Lakes Community College that is rising in popularity, boasts back-to-back appearances in the NJCAAe’s virtual Collegiate eSports National Championships, and is open to anyone who is eager to learn and wants to work as part of a team while fulfilling their leadership potential.

Presenting the FLCC eSports team, which came about due to a “clear and urgent need, a great demand, and an opportunity to serve an underrepresented portion of FLCC’s student population that was too huge to miss,” according to head coach Michael Van Etten.

“Adding eSports to the FLCC culture not only made sense, but it was also a massive investment in underserved students from a variety of academic programs. Our primary mission is to provide opportunities for anyone, and everyone interested in the eSports industry. Everyone plays. Everyone creates. Everyone contributes. If you have a desire to commit, learn, grow, and play, you’ll have a place with us,” Van Etten says.

Overwatch was the first eSports offering at FLCC beginning in the fall of 2019, and the offerings have grown exponentially since. During the 2020-2021 academic year, the Lakers’ Overwatch team won its division and qualified for the NJCAAe National Playoffs for both the fall and spring semesters, including advancing into the national semifinals in the spring semester.

The run to the national semifinals capped a highly successful year for FLCC’s eSports team. The fact that the Lakers were competing with the best eSports teams across the country is impressive, given that many of the opposing schools boast squads that are much larger than FLCC’s student population of roughly 5,670 full and part-time students.

But it’s also impressive considering how much the program has grown throughout the years. Back in the beginning of the program, it was known as the Electronic Gaming Club, and it operated under student life on campus.  Support for the club was provided by then-Athletic Director Bob Lowden and Professor Will McLaughlin, with the Lakers competing in several tournaments each year.

“FLCC’s game design and programming degree program created the perfect environment to attract students interested in gaming. This, combined with a growing player base and a shifting culture towards gaming and online experiences, made the creation of an eSports program the next logical step in the evolution of the FLCC Athletics department,” Van Etten says.

Today, the eSports program is thriving on campus. Much like its more traditional sports offerings, eSports student-athletes are expected to commit to around 12 hours per week of organized team activities, ranging from attending practices, participating in scrimmages and matches, and partaking in all other administrative team events. All while maintaining good academic standing.

The Lakers’ eSports team is open to any interested students, regardless of their rank. VanEtten is proud that many of his players begin at the lowest levels (ranks) of competitive play.

“We do not take competitive rank or standing into consideration. While other schools stick to the model of tryouts and cuts, FLCC eSports believes that everyone should have a shot at glory. eSports student-athletes also have the opportunity to easily access their games from anywhere they choose. Some of our members are fully online students, hundreds of miles away from campus. Others may play from their residence halls, on the road, or here in the Game Design and Programming Lab with us,” Van Etten says.

As a participant in the NJCAAe, FLCC supports the following eSports titles: Valorant, Overwatch, Rocket League, Rainbow Six Siege, Call of Duty - Cold War, Call of Duty - Warzone, Smash Brothers Ultimate, Hearthstone, NBA2K, Madden and FIFA. Van Etten said the NJCAAA is constantly exploring and pursuing new titles, with the expectation that even more games will be offered in the years to come.

During a competition, six active players choose from a variety of heroes possessing differing skills and abilities to form the Lakers’ team. Six other players are available as substitutes. Van Etten rotates equally through his members to ensure everyone is able to play an equal number of maps/matches while cross training every member to learn how to step in and contribute to any number of roles.

“It is a common misconception that one can have the best team by simply assembling the best players. A good program should be looking for leadership traits like clear and effective communication, responsibility, organization, punctuality, critical thinking, analysis skills, and more. The success of a team rests squarely upon the ability to function as a team. FLCC has faced schools ten times our size, with more high-ranked players than us, and we defeat them soundly because we operate as a better team,” Van Etten proudly states.

Many of the students who end up representing FLCC on the eSports team never had the opportunity to participate in a traditional athletics program, according to Van Etten. By joining the eSports team, they are afforded the same opportunities to excel, while learning the same values and lessons that participating in a team sport offers.

Interested students can contact the team online, through email or by following the eSports program on Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Twitter. Van Etten said he will help students through the entire application process, and that most times a tryout isn’t even required.