Central Penn College esports team off to undefeated start in inaugural season
SUMMERDALE, Pa. — The college community has powered up its first coed varsity esports program, which started with the team鈥檚 first match on Sept. 19 against Ferris State. The team鈥檚 record currently stands 2-0 in Rocket League and Call of Duty competition.
Head coach聽Mikeal Pecot is enthusiastic about the launch, saying, 鈥淚鈥檓 excited because it can bring in students to the college and give them the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level while earning their degree for a career vital to central Pennsylvania.鈥�
鈥淢y goal is to run a successful esports team where the students have control, so there鈥檚 coaching but also the students determine how well we perform based on their commitment.鈥�
But it鈥檚 not all fun and games.
鈥淚 expect to see good performances on and off the field– this means getting good grades,鈥� Pecot emphasized.
The Knights聽will compete as a varsity team in the聽聽(NACE). As part of NACE,聽Central Penn College聽esports聽athletes聽will face off against聽the association鈥檚 170+ member schools, which聽include聽some of the nation鈥檚 top-ranked聽esports programs.听In past years, Central Penn fielded an esports club that competed against multiple NCAA Division I and II schools and posted victories.
The new program follows a surge in popularity in esports, driven in part by the isolation imposed by the pandemic.
鈥淓sports has become so popular because you get to see the best do what they do best. On top of earning scholarships, it also provides a STEM learning experience, which in return can help the student-athlete in their career field,鈥� Pecot noted.
Assistant coach Don Lewis agreed about the benefits of esports and noted that competing has a larger social component that transcends cultural differences.
鈥淓sports allows students from all different backgrounds who would not normally be in the same social circles to come together with one goal in mind: team success,鈥� Lewis said.
鈥淢y goal for this team is to see improvement each and every time we step foot in the Steve Shoemaker Esports Gaming Lab,鈥� Lewis said.听 鈥淣ot just in competitions but in all aspects of life. We should all strive to be better people today than the people we were yesterday.鈥�
鈥淓sports has always had a following, but with the pandemic keeping everyone indoors, it has really brought our sport to the forefront,鈥� Lewis added.听 鈥淚 also feel that esports gives our student-athletes who are not your typical 鈥榯raditional鈥�-type athlete a chance to showcase their skill set. This allows for a whole new type of skill set and interest to be explored.鈥�
Kasey Hicks, Athletic Director for Central Penn, said, 鈥淓sports has shown tremendous growth over the past few years, and our students are passionate and talented! I am excited to see the school rally around the new program and see us compete on many levels.鈥�
鈥淭his program is all about commitment, hard work, and balance,鈥� Hicks continued, 鈥淟ike our other athletic programs at the college, these students are committed to representing Central Penn.听 They balance academics, jobs, and athletics in a desire to compete.听 Participation in any athletic program, including esports, gives students the opportunity to learn the importance of commitment, leadership, and dedication.鈥�
Michael Fedor, Vice President of Advancement and Strategic Initiatives said, 鈥淚t is my belief that esports athletes already competing and winning at one of the numerous high school level teams in the region will be able to continue their passion for gaming while pursuing a certificate or degree at Central Penn College.鈥�
鈥淓sports programs are only going to continue to grow, given the prevalence and popularity of gaming among teens and adults. It is essential for Central Penn College to have a strong commitment to esports,鈥� Fedor added.听 聽He noted that the school鈥檚 Opportunities campaign is now seeking funds to help grow the esports program and other sports.
Students on the team include Angel Gutierrez, Allan Melgarejo, Jarod Fischer, Jayden Marshall, Jeffrey Elicker, Jeremiah Yisrael, Taevon Farmer, Cameron Odom, and Brian Strawhacker.
Matches are live-streamed on any phone, tablet, streaming device, or computer using the online streaming platform Twitch.听 To view matches, log on to聽.听
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