By Larry Urish, contributing writer
If you were to picture a college athlete in action, might you envision a bookish, headphone-wearing teen sitting in a darkened room, leaning toward a computer monitor, frantically hammering a keyboard and barking out instructions to nearby teammates?
Didn’t think so. Yet, in the not-too-distant future, that image may become more widely associated with collegiate sports.
That’s because the growth of esports, which encompasses the world of competitive organized video gaming, has been nothing short of stunning. Worth an estimated $1.98 billion in 2023, the global esports market is expected to grow to $10.9 billion by 2033, according to Market.us.
To see this trend reflected at the collegiate level, look no further than the new esports team at Santiago Community College. While the squad is currently composed of five students who compete in local and regional events, SCC is committed to an esports program rooted in expansion and success.
In April, Norco College invited Santiago Canyon College to compete in three exhibition games against the Norco squad. “It was part of a larger event to encourage local high school students to visit the campus and consider attending college,” said Roshan Uma, SCC’s esports coordinator. While Santiago won 3-0, Uma downplayed the victory, noting that the event was all about helping prospective students.
Not too long ago, Uma served as president of Norco College’s Esports Club, then worked professionally in developing esports at the school. After his boss at Norco, Jason Parks, moved to Santiago Community College to serve as SCC’s VP of Academic Affairs, he hired Uma in February to help develop the esports program.
While one obvious goal is success on the digital battlefield, Uma continually stresses how exposure to esports can benefit students in helping them learn the value of practice, planning, teamwork and calm execution. Student welfare remains a common denominator in what he calls the “three pillars” of SCC esports: community, curriculum and competition.
Regarding the first pillar, “Esports allows students to be in a like-minded community,” Uma said. “It also involves connecting with the college as a whole. We’re making sure that esports is embedded in the campus culture and that other college programs can lean in and work with us.”
This sense of community extends beyond the campus. For this year’s Orange Chamber of Commerce May Parade, SCC President Jeannie Kim suggested that esports represent the college at the parade, Uma said. “So we built ‘Star Wars’ spaceship floats and took them to the May the 4th parade. … Like Dr. Parks, Dr. Kim has been one of esports’ major supporters toward our growth and success.”
The benefits for students are appreciated.
“There is the community aspect of gaming, where people come together with a similar mindset and enjoy the same things,” said SCC child development major Izzy Nguyen, one of SCC esports’ student leaders who, while not a competitor, helps Uma run the program. “It helps me socialize more with students and learn to be more of a leader.”
Computer engineering major Johnny Vo, another esports student leader, concurs. “Esports has given me an outlet to network outside of school and unwind from rigorous academics.”
When discussing the second pillar, curriculum, Uma encourages anyone involved in SCC esports to apply what they learn about various aspects of the endeavor to a broader range of professional opportunities and life skills. “Students will see an immense overlap between general courses they’ve taken and how what they’ve learned can be applied to the esports industry.”
In addition, Uma said, “When developing esports curriculum, it’s important to have both the academic professional and the industry professional in the same room.” Moving forward, involving industry pros in the SCC esports curriculum will be a top priority.
Competition, the third esports pillar, starts with the team selection process. “Now that we have a team, we’ll have tryouts, giving everyone a fair shot at joining,” Uma said. “Returning team members will also have a say in who joins them.”
While SCC esports teams participate in four different sports — Uma stresses that what many see as a digital “game” is considered a completely separate sport — he noted that, “Currently, the only active team that we have competes in Valorant.” Each competitor in this “tactical hero shooter” sport acts as an agent, either attacking for or defending the team.
As far as the other digital sports, “I’m looking ahead to when we have more competitors to fill the ranks of the (future) teams,” Uma added.
Grateful to be coordinating the esports program at Santiago Community College, Uma wants to pay his good fortune forward. Along with his whip-smart intelligence, organizational skills and desire to help others, Uma maintains that, when it comes to his involvement in esports, “I got lucky landing in my career. I’m dedicating my career so future students don’t have to be as lucky.”
