Fitness and Recreation hosts first ever e-sports tournament
The Chapman Fitness and Recreation center aims to bring sport and competition to students in a virtual environment by hosting an e-sports tournament. Unsplash
Many people associate sports with relentless physical activity and competition. However, the intensely quick hand-eye coordination, bright colors and fast-paced finger-clicking within e-sports has quickly become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional sports leagues.
So what better time to host a virtual sports competition than during a global pandemic?
Chapman Fitness and Recreation Services is hosting its first-ever Chapman e-sports tournament. The six-week competition begins Oct. 12 and includes the games “Madden NFL 21” and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” gunfight mode for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Senior student employee Luke Carson has been working since August to plan this event. His inspiration came from a shorter e-sports tournament that Chapman’s Interfraternity Council (IFC) hosted last spring.
“I have participated in e-sports tournaments and they are a really fun way to stay in contact with people and have a little competition during this pandemic,” Carson said. “I used (the IFC tournament) for inspiration and proposed it to my team.”
Carson hopes that the tournament can help create a sense of community amongst those who participate.
“E-sports is an opportunity to bring people together, even though it’s virtual,” Carson said. “It’s hard when we can’t be on campus and do competitions in different events; this is a cool and unique way to reinvent competition on a virtual scale.”
A wide range of Chapman students play video games in their free time, and by using a platform students are already comfortable with, employees like second-year graduate student Maddie Hill believe more students will be willing to play.
“I thought it was a great way for students to feel connected, and to also engage students that we haven’t before,” Hill said. “I have also just started to learn video games and I’m excited to help others learn about it like I have.”
Fitness and Recreation introduced a few new features last year with the staff seeing the opening of the Henley Hall Fitness Center and the creation of GroupX fitness classes as admirable feats. Staff are encouraged that these accomplishments will serve as a conduit for future student engagement.
“This (tournament) is something new and exciting to build upon the things we did last semester,” Hill said. “We’re still playing on the momentum, but in a new way while we are virtual.”
Ultimately, Fitness and Recreation hopes e-sports can add a bit of levity to a distant semester, just like a Saturday afternoon football game at Wilson Field could in normal times.
“In a virtual environment, it can be hard to find that social connection,” Hill said. “I’m excited that we can offer these games that people are already playing and put a Chapman spin on it.”