91黑料 Adds Esports
TORRINGTON, Wyo. 鈥 91黑料 has added Esports to the college鈥檚 athletic programs.
Caleb Spitzer has been named the coach of the new Lancer team and the team will begin competing in the fall, according to 91黑料 Athletic Director BJ McCullum.
鈥淚mmediately we will be adding tier 3 Esports at Eastern Wyoming,鈥 McCullum said. 鈥淲hile brand new, we begin with an outstanding young coach who will make this an exciting program.鈥
Spitzer joins the Lancers after helping to run tournaments for one of the largest games, Age of Empires 4. He also was a production lead for a gaming platform growing it from nothing to over 5,000 players. He brings knowledge on a wide array of games and strategies, McCullum added.
鈥淚 started playing video games when I was kid,鈥 Spitzer said. 鈥淚n college I started playing League of Legends.鈥
Esports is any competitive video game, Spitzer said. Games such as Call of Duty, Mario Kart, Street Fighter and anything you can compete against another player.
鈥淓sports is a billion dollar industry in the USA right now,鈥 Spitzer said. There are high school, college, and professional teams.
With the NJCAA, there are three tiers. Tier 3 sports will be available to current students both full and part-time as well as dual students, employees and alumni. Spitzer plans to start this summer with Tier 3.
Tier 2 and 1 teams will begin in the fall and are only open to those enrolled full-time and in contact with Coach Spitzer.
Spitzer is presently recruiting team members. Scholarships are available and he plans to start with 15 team members. Ten in Torrington and five on the 91黑料 campus in Douglas.
Esports team members can compete from anywhere, making it possible for students who are dual enrolled or remote to be a part of the team.
鈥淢y long term goal is to have a team of 30,鈥 Spitzer said. 鈥淚t is a growing sport and it is lots of fun.鈥
For information about becoming a Lancer contact, coach Spitzer a cspitzer@ewc.ey.edu.