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For as long as I can remember, video games have been an important part of who I am. I’ve been involved in team sports for a long time, and I have always enjoyed it. When I came to the University of New Haven, I knew that was something I wanted to continue.

I never imagined I would be able to combine my two passions for gaming and competing as a member of a team. The University of New Haven proved me wrong when I discovered the club Esports program. It blew my mind that any school, let alone the one I was attending, would have the exact program I was looking for just waiting for me.

For the past two years, as a member of our Esports Club Overwatch team, I have been able to play the games I loved to play with people who all share my passion for these games and wanted to compete just like I did.

This past semester, that level of involvement and passion has been taken to the next level with the introduction of the University’s . Under the guidance of faculty members such as Head Coach Corey Parks and Professor Jason Chung, my teammates and I have been given a plethora of new opportunities to compete, grow, and develop our skills both in and out of the game.

‘An even greater edge when we compete’

When talking to us about ways to improve in-game, Coach Parks is always sure to instill the fact that the communication skills we need to succeed in-game are the same ones we can apply to our lives outside of esports and even beyond college.

In addition, Professor Chung, who was , uses his vast experience in the industry to provide us with unique perspectives on gaming situations and to give us an inside look at the industry of competitive esports.

The University has taken a lot of steps to ensure that its varsity esports players have the best experience possible. In particular, we have excellent equipment and facilities, such as the brand-new, state-of-the-art gaming room in the Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation.

Dubbed “The Stable,” this gaming room is equipped with top-of-the-line computers and HyperX gaming essentials that are necessary for us to perform at the highest level. The Stable provides my teammates and me with the best possible gaming experience, which gives us an even greater edge when we compete.

‘There truly is no limit’

Prior to competing in the new gaming facility, we would participate in practices and competitions from our own individual rooms, using our own gear. In my experience as the in-game leader for our Overwatch team, this could be challenging, as communication between us might get lost in translation or buried in the crowd. However, with all of us in the same room and using cutting-edge equipment, our team and our skills have grown exponentially.

The University of New Haven and its commitment to the varsity esports program has definitely made an impact on my life. Now I can continue to combine my passion for competition and my love for video games in a way that I never have before.

With experienced faculty members such as Coach Parks and Professor Chung who help us along the way, and the amenities of The Stable and the Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation, there truly is no limit on what my teammates and I can accomplish, both as members of varsity esports and as students at the University of New Haven.

Thomas Chung ’22 is a communication major at the University of New Haven and a member of the University’s varsity esports program and its Overwatch team.