Student-led gaming has a long history at the University of Oklahoma. Through the rebrands and overhauls, the OU Gaming Club has maintained one unified mission statement since its conception in 2016: gaming is for everyone. Under this banner, students have marched on the path of expanding opportunities for students through the university department, Esports & Co-Curricular Innovation. ECCI’s primary focus is the competition side of the topic, with practices, tournaments and coveted championships.
Esports and traditional sports models may not share the same mass-market appeal, but they function as almost symbiotic entities. Teams are organized by title and region, hold practices and friendly scrimmages and battle it out for supremacy on national and even global stages. Both entities are beholden to strict guidelines laid out in rulebooks created by committees of different stakeholders—each with their own bylaws and priorities—to maintain compliance and fair standards. Moreover, sponsorships and donations fuel all these organizations, allowing them to put on entertaining shows and provide their players with normally unimaginable pathways for prosperity.
For the same reasons they are different, esports and “normal” sports mirror each other in the ever-evolving fun house of competitive live-broadcasted extracurriculars. How, then, can esports escape its self-imposed niche and truly earn its rightful place in the zeitgeist?
There is no one answer. Besides, the student body of ECCI is more focused on evolving esports from the inside out through hard work.
“One of the key reasons this environment works is because everyone shares the same vision and passion for what we can accomplish together,” said Logan “Foxx” Fox, OU Apex Legends Coach. One of his main goals with ECCI is to foster an environment where his team can become better students and teammates, not just better players.
“It is easy for someone to say they want to play video games, have fun, or be part of a community. However, true commitment is demonstrated through actions rather than words. Are you willing to arrive early to support your family? Are you willing to spend extra time studying for an important exam instead of playing games? Those are the moments that truly show dedication.”
This sentiment is shared by all of ECCI’s team staff, especially when it comes to keeping their players accountable. Team culture thrives with that shared understanding.
“Overall, our ‘work hard’ mentality comes from how fun we make the game,” said Michelle “Taikadesa” Cao, Coach and Manager of OU Mario Kart. “We set weekly Time Trial Challenges for the members to work on the same tracks and gradually learn optimal lines. It’s amazing seeing teammates update their times and hit new milestones after learning shortcuts and strategies.”
With the mission of legitimizing esports as a serious extracurricular with verifiable benefits, student leaders have built their culture around the most important factor in a fast-paced competitive world: discipline.
“I would define ‘discipline culture’ as the perseverance of a team (both player and coach) to communicate, practice, maintain etiquette and keep composure in and out of competitive games,” said Malekai “BeaniestBean” Pola, Manager for OU Marvel Rivals.
The culture of discipline within ECCI’s ranks serves two purposes. First, it encourages learning and improvement without sacrificing camaraderie. When failure and frustration are used as learning opportunities, players feel empowered to succeed.
“Personally, giving up is a big pet peeve of mine,” said Jordan “MaconBakin” Bacon, a player on OU’s Marvel Rivals A Team. “Giving up early is basically giving up not only your chances of winning, but your chances of improving as a player, as a teammate, and as a person. I would not be at the skill level I am at today if I gave up every losing game, but instead I used that pressure to think of new solutions, and just play better.”
The second strength of discipline culture within ECCI is the importance of sportsmanship. High-stakes competition causes stress that, if improperly managed, undermines the mission of the program. A favorite anecdote of ECCI’s director, Mike “Moog” Aguilar, echoes a time when he felt the weight of loss in youth sports. His coach emboldened him to eat the anger, walk across the field, and shake his opponents’ hands. Now, this mentality ensures that no matter the score, OU gamers come out on top.
No one, not even managers, is exempt from learning opportunities.
“As a coach, it can sometimes be difficult to admit when you’re wrong,” said Matt “Kish” Kish, Sooner alumnus and former OU Halo Coach. “But during VOD reviews, they never approached things by telling me I was wrong. Instead, they started conversations about the plays they made. They would break situations down, ask questions, and try to understand what happened and how they could improve. That mindset created an environment where everyone was focused on learning and getting better.”
Gaming is fun, but turning the hobby into a pathway for personal and professional growth is how ECCI creates the next generation of leaders. This point is underscored best by the words of OU Marvel Rivals Head Coach Devan “Dravenslade” Wright. During a recent match, a disconnect caused the Sooners to forfeit the round, a fact that was openly celebrated by the opposing team. While this was a frustrating technicality, Dravenslade recognized the gravity of the moment in the following message to his team:
“They got a map on paper, but we got the match in reality. And we EARNED it. Always remember that desperate teams will look for shortcuts, but great teams raise the standard. And last night, you guys proved which one you were. Let’s all agree to one another to keep building the kind of team that wins with skill, composure, and class… and let others expose themselves when the pressure hits them.”
“I’m proud of every single one of you.”
