Team of the Week: Nebraska esports

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Esports are growing in popularity across the country.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln even has its own esports club team, and it’s doing quite well.

The club started in 2014 but disbanded shortly after.

Fast forward to 2018, the club re-formed. It has been competing in a collection of video games for the past six seasons.

Jaiden Schilke, club treasurer and Call of Duty game manager, joined the squad in search of something new.

“I’ve always been a fan of video games, and I had no idea what esports was at the time,” he said. “So, I got into it, wanted to join the Call of Duty team, and then that was a slippery slope that led to me now having a slew of roles.”

Schilke said this opportunity gave him a chance to coach and has helped him grow as a leader.

He said esports have a lot of similarities to “traditional sports.”

His team reviews film, recruits, practices and participates in scrimmages. He said communication is key.

“It’s all about having good social skills, good communication, being able to communicate effectively, especially in fast-paced situations where you’re trying to not stammer,” Schilke said.

The COD team was nationally ranked this season, and the club’s Rocket League team will soon be competing for a national championship.

Rocket League team manager Brody Knaak said his team was full of new faces this season but grew closer over time.

“We worked over those six months, and then the six months in the spring to kind of tidy things up, get communication a little bit clearer, a little bit more effective,” said Knaak. “Then they started working more as a team, which we’re still working on.”

The team went undefeated during the regular season, earning a bid in the Collegiate Conference Series Championship.

Knaak said this opportunity gives the team a chance to shine.

“We want to grab onto that and continue to grow from that so we can hopefully continue to solidify our ourselves as one of the top teams in the nation,” he said.

The team hopes to eventually become a Division I program at the university.

Its first match in the championship tournament is Friday against Northern Arizona.