The Future of Esports without its Original Members

By John DeFreitas | Published November 18, 2023

By all accounts, eSports is a blossoming program at Kean University and has thrived from its inception, but as the original executive board members graduate this fall, change is likely to happen as it so often is in collegiate sports.

Amy Yang, who graduates in December, is the final remaining member of the original executive board as the eSports club secretary. The eSports program came from small beginnings, once just a classroom with computers in the Green Lane Academic Building 208 just beside where the current eSports arena resides.

Yang got to reminisce about her time with eSports and what those humble beginnings were like. “When I leave, I’m gonna miss this place…,” said Yang. “It was just regular desks with PCs on them and we’d just play… we didWii sports in the old arena for fun.”

Yang recognizes the need for exposure, for the arena, and for trying to bring in new players or workers to the eSports lounge.

“This semester especially we have had a lot of tours from high schools,” said Yang. “They get to try the equipment they get to have a little fun… that has helped us get more publicity for high school students to try and actually want to apply to Kean.”

Yang has her own plans for the future and hopes for what positive traction in eSports could mean for the program and those playing within it. 

“I plan on visiting,” said Yang. “I want to try and pursue something eSports-related or close enough… I’m hoping in the next, maybe two or three years that our players can actually get sponsorships or we can get overall PC upgrades.”

Although Yang will be moving on from the program soon there are still others that have been around and grown with the program, like player-coach Jhordy Jaramillo. Jaramillo is a graduate student at Kean and is both a competitor and coach of the Overwatch team. 

Jaramillo brought up developing eSports players and finding ways for potential gamers to be involved beyond being part of a certain eSports team regardless of whether someone makes or does not make a team like Overwatch or Rocket League among other games.

“It’s a community at the end of the day,” said Jaramillo. “It’s not just about, can you make it on the premiere team… we want you to stick around, we want you to come to the games, we want you to have fun.”

Jaramillo continues to echo this when he speaks about being a coach in ways that help direct an Overwatch team to victory and also allow players to learn skills beyond what can be used in the arena.

“Helping people grow has always been one of my favorite things,” said Jaramillo. “It’s awesome to see new people come in wanting to learn… Being able to pass that on to people, self-discipline, or self-drive is really cool.”

Jaramillo spoke about his hopes for what being a member of eSports could look like for members who are players. 

“I hope that within the next year or two a lot of the new players are not only hungry to get better and play to win but also to give back to the community or do more than just play,” said Jaramillo.

Jaramillo added that going that extra step as a player to be involved could mean a difference in improving the live stream or taking care of the arena which in turn would improve others’ experiences there as well.

Both Yang and Jaramillo express their thoughts on improving the technology in the arena and show their passion and care for the program when they talk about the people and the community that is built within this esports program. That same care for the program and its students is echoed by head coach Joseph Sarnoski.

“It’s the problem with college sports is you lose institutional knowledge every four years,” said Sarnoski. “So you have these great students… especially somebody like Amy who works in the arena and knows how the computers work… you lose that and it’s heartbreaking.”

Sarnoski also added what it means for Yang to leave the program as someone who helped form eSports.

“For someone like Amy who helped build eSports at the University,” said Sarnoski. “It’s like you’re leaving your baby.”

With change always occurring amongst the student body in the program Sarnoski also mentioned the point of having his position as head coach be something that is full-time. Something he believes that the program deserves. 

“eSports you’re an athlete for a couple of years and then you move on,” said Sarnoski. “Getting that experience behind the scenes can walk you into an internship or a job with the Giants or the Jets or within an eSports corporation.”

This also relates to Jaramillo’s point of sticking around regardless of being an athlete. eSports has more going on than just trying out or gaming. Broadcasting is a key feature of eSports and naturally needs to be supported just as much as athletes hold together teams across different games.

Sarnoski brought up exposure for eSports at Kean and some ways that could help increase viewership both online and in person.

“What I’m encouraging our conference to do is actually make games earlier,” said Sarnoski.“Our games start at eight O’clock and that’s because we play all different time zones.”

The world of eSports at the collegiate level is relatively new and not always as organized as it is at Kean. Many schools do not have an arena or have teams that are run by students and not faculty.

“For Kean, I want to see a bigger investment into our social media,” said Sarnoski. “I want a table at every open house until we are big enough to be self-sustaining. That’s our future goal…where we don’t have to recruit players, players come to us.”

This also means getting more high school players to come to the school like from Garden State eSports. Allowing more high school students access to the arena could allow a more consistent flow of members for the program.

Sarnoski wants to promote the program but also wants members to use their experience in esports, whether in the capacity of a player or someone behind the scenes, to springboard them into life outside of the program and outside of college. 

“My concern is giving the students the best opportunity,” said Sarnoski… “Then when you walk out of Kean as the commentator for the eSports program… the board person… that gives you the job, that gives you a career path… that’s the goal, that’s what I see eSports being for Kean.”

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