Texas A&M University-San Antonio is set to begin esports in fall 2020 with some restrictions on travel and face-to-face interaction because of the coronavirus.
Travis Yang, whose appointment as esports coach was announced Feb. 14, is recruiting players for the inaugural team, but he is having to adapt his plan. College and university esports players participate in video game competitions against other schools
Esports is one of the sports approved under the new athletic program starting in the fall. Other approved sports include men’s golf, softball and men’s and women’s soccer.
Yang has experience coaching at the college and professional levels.
He said he started playing video games just for fun with friends in high school.
“From my time in high school all the way through college until 2018, I ran a semi-pro, then a professional Starcraft 2 team and I was personally interested in the management side of it,” Yang said in an interview Feb. 24.
Yang previously worked at Ashland University in Ohio as an assistant esports coach. He said he helped the Ashland team grow.
“We would compete with other larger schools such as Ohio State and UCLA and beat them,” Yang said.
At the time Ashland had six teams competing in different games. Yang said the players were dedicated to their training just like any athlete.
“Basketball players have to run through drills and plays that they must practice during their workouts and also outside of practice,” Yang said. “They must strategize how to beat their opponents. Esports players are no different outside of the physical part of the training.”
Yang said practices will involve team planning.
“During official practice time we probably won’t spend any time working on mechanics and just practice as a team and on our strategies, but on their own time the players will have practice regimens they will need to go through.” Yang said.
A&M-San Antonio students have shown interest in playing for the university.
Communications junior Eric Gutierrez said he has thought about trying out for the team and enjoys watching esports tournaments. He remembers going to Seattle with his brothers to watch a tournament when he was younger and fell in love with esports ever since.
“My brothers would play video games all the time and I would join in on some of the easier games because I didn’t think I was good,” Gutierrez said.
Kinesiology freshman Jacob Lopez also expressed interest in joining the esports team, expressing his desire to add games like Smite and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to the team.
Yang has been visiting local school districts to recruit future freshmen. However, he said he will continue recruiting online because of the pandemic and Stay Home, Work Safe orders.
“I have been keeping in contact with high school coordinators to see what we can do about recruiting students,” Yang said in an interview on March 31.
A&M-San Antonio will compete against teams in Texas and potentially across the United States. However, due to the pandemic there may be travel restrictions and more online play.
A&M-San Antonio has not joined an esports league yet, but Yang said he is positive they will soon. During the inaugural season, players will receive team scholarships; however, Yang was uncertain of how much.
Yang is working with Darnell Smith, the newly hired athletic director, to get a practice room in Patriots’ Casa for students, but due to the pandemic the computers were not delivered to the room. He said the team will have a practice room in a new recreation center when it is finished by 2022.
