The Westside Esports team is a relatively new experience for students, having only been formed in 2020. Despite this, the program has seen great success with new members showing interest at exponential levels. From state titles last year in Rocket League, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and Overwatch two, to national titles such as the team’s 2023 Hearthstone championship win, they’ve gathered some attention.
To ensure that engagement stays high and players can stay at the top of their game, upgrades are coming to the team’s equipment and environment.
With new computers and a move from the west to main campus next year, the future is promising for the team.
“There were many things to consider when purchasing new equipment for the team. One major challenge we’ll be facing as we move our program to the main campus next year is that we won’t have a dedicated Esports lab. We’ll be using the brand new Innovation Center after school, and since that will be used for other things throughout the day we needed a portable solution for many of our devices,” said Head Esports coach Chase Tonkinson. Tonkinson had created the program in 2020 based on student interest and the option to play remotely during the pandemic.
With the Westside Life Complex nearing completion, adequate room was finally made available to move the Esports consoles and computers to the main campus after five years. However, the innovation center will be available for more than just Esports players, so a decision must be made regarding the flexibility of the space. That, along with finding space for the team, presented numerous challenges.
“For that reason we opted to purchase a mix of PCs and laptops. Aside from that, we wanted to buy higher end machines that we know will still be capable of playing new games in four to five years,” said Tonkinson.
For the move, a decision was made to purchase PCs for high end performance, as well as laptops for flexibility. This mix allows the upcoming Innovation Center to be used by everyone, while the PCs let the team play current and upcoming games at the best performance level. As a result, hardware-demanding games, such as the newly played Marvel Rivals, run smoothly for the players.
The move to the main campus isn’t just notable for the new machines , it’s a huge step forward in the accessibility of the program as well.
“The visibility of being on campus will definitely help with recruitment, and the additional space will allow us to keep more students involved in the program,” said Tonkinson.
The move to the main campus makes transportation more convenient for players and recruits. Interested students can see the machines and environment, without the multiple mile commute to the West Campus. Players experience the convenience of the move as well, as issues regarding the West Campus location have been present for years.
“One of our biggest challenges with playing at our West Campus for the last five years has been just getting players there in a timely manner after school. Some of our players struggle getting rides to West Campus, and the parking lot after school isn’t always easy to leave for the players who do have rides,” said Tonkinson.
Despite the issues with the previous location, players enjoyed the team enough to find constant ways to return and improve their skills. Whether they carpooled with peers, found a ride on a bus route, or got there by another method, the dedication shown paid off, and the team’s success speaks for itself. This attracted the team’s first sponsor, Google Fiber, allowing for even more improvements.
“Having a sponsor like Google Fiber helps offset some of the expenses for things like new equipment. Our league will be playing some Nintendo Switch 2 titles next year, so knowing that we have the funds to purchase new consoles means we can ensure we can participate in future seasons,” said Tonkinson.
Esports continues to grow as a program, with new improvements happening. The Westside Esports team has shown how impressive they can be with the right support, with many players even receiving scholarships for their play. The new equipment and move to the main campus will continue to let them shine, and play at peak performance.
