George Fox Esports Launches

George Fox University recently launched a coed esports program, with competition set to begin in the fall of 2021! We’re excited to join the fastest-growing collegiate sport in the nation!

Students can join an intramural team or try out to play competitively in the varsity program through NACE (the National Association of Collegiate Esports). All participants will get to take advantage of a new 1,200-square-foot arena set to be built this summer.

ESports Website

 

Interested in participating? Here are seven reasons why it may be the best decision you make during college:

 

#1 Find your community in Bruin Athletics

Our varsity program will be a full-fledged athletics team with uniforms, an arena, team gear, tryouts, a coach, tournaments ... the whole nine yards. Esports is an opportunity for you to seriously pursue your interests and join a tight-knit community that shares your passion! 

#2 You can play teams from all over the country … and still have ‘home court advantage’

That’s the beauty of virtual athletics: You get all the benefits of being on a George Fox team, but you get to play schools across the country right from home. Tournaments won’t get canceled, and you’ll always be right in your element.

#3 It’s good for the brain (and your academics)

You may have heard it before: “Video games are a waste of time!” Recent research says quite the opposite. 

Active games boost neural processing and efficiency and improve spatial skills that predict achievement in STEM-related fields. Video games also enhance creativity, increase persistence, teach anxiety-coping skills, and develop problem-solving skills that improve academic grades. Not only this, but they teach cooperation, supportiveness and helpfulness, as well as a variety of other prosocial skills that extend beyond the gaming world.

#4 Leave gaming on your own in the past

Gone are the days when gamers were perceived to be the nerds in mom’s basement. Esports is an elite industry surpassing the revenue of Hollywood. The gaming community is just that: a community of people across the country all socializing and working together.

Now we’re taking that one step further: You get to be in person with your team. Video games are a tried and true method for meeting new people, so if you’re worried about making friends in college, or you’re in college and having a tough time finding your community, esports could be the answer!

# 5 Everyone is welcome

Work side by side with teammates who are different than you. The George Fox esports team is a coed program that will be open and inclusive to everyone, regardless of their background and understanding of competitive gaming. Everyone brings their personal experience to the arena to work together toward a shared goal, and different perspectives make it that much more exciting!

#6 You’ll be a part of something new

Collegiate esports is a growing industry, and it’s brand new at George Fox, so you can shape what the program will look like for those who join the team after you graduate. That means that you get to be one part gamer, one part visionary, one part teammate, and one part leader! Not only this, but you’ll be on one of the only teams in Oregon. Talk about being a trendsetter!

#7 A first step toward your career

Participating on an esports team will only increase your credibility in the job market. Video games improve soft skills like communication, self-confidence, problem solving, strategy and leadership, and employers are starting to notice. A BBC article reports that even the military is starting to hire gamers because of their ability to react swiftly and calmly under pressure. And other employers are starting to jump on the hiring-gamers-bandwagon as well.