Set to enter year two of its existence the USU Eastern eSports team will once again be led by head coach Kevin Van Der Spek.
USU Eastern officially added eSports to its athletic department in July of 2019. Just two months later the NJCAA announced that it would provide two-year colleges with governance, competition and official national championships, while also providing guidance for colleges to build programs.
“When you look at the numbers online you’ll see just how big competitive video gaming really has become,” said Van Der Spek. “The eSports community for these competitors has definitely grown a lot.”
A graduate of Copper Hills High School in 2015, Van Der Spek was recruited to USU Eastern for debate. Just a few years later he was approached about building and leading the eSports program, which was preparing to launch.
Fielding a roster of 10 gamers, the Eagles experienced success in year one. Ending the spring season 20-21, USU Eastern recorded a big victory in October over Utah Valley University in the fall.
Van Der Spek was faced with the traditional obstacles any first year program would need to conquer. He quickly learned about the difficulties of recruiting in a field with such a large field of play.
“The hardest thing about recruiting is the amount of titles that there are,” said Van Der Spek when assessing his performance as a coach. “I need to be proficient in spotting talent for each game. I can connect with high school students in Utah, watch them at their competitions regularly and then meet them face to face.”
The eSports program has been well received on campus by both students and athletes. The everyday training method for eSports players may be different than traditional athletes, but it still provides its challenges.
While academics are a main point of emphasis on the team, Van Der Spek also focuses on mental and physical wellness.
“For each player we have very high expectations academically. We also make sure each student has a basic level of fitness,” Said Van Der Spek. “Each player has to go to the gym a couple times a week. You need to be in good physical shape to have your best level of mental performance.”
While the recent season was cut short, the Eagles have high expectations moving into the 2020-21 academic year. The majority of last year’s gamers will return to the team in the fall, giving them an opportunity to build on the success of the spring season.
Van Der Spek has visions of growing the program with talented gamers as the eSports communications continues to expand. As a second year coach, he’s figured out exactly what he is looking for when recruiting.
“I really like to look at academics when recruiting because one of the really important aspects of being good at any video game is work ethic. Also looking at match history with the competitive games they compete in is really important. I also request footage of them playing the game, which is helpful as well.”