Contributed/ETSU ESPORTS

For the first time in program history, ETSU’s Rocket League team advanced to the NACE Grand Finals, marking a major milestone for ETSU’s Esports.

For Jeff Shell, head coach of ETSU Varsity Esports, the accomplishment represented years of hard work and progress.

“For years, Rocket League had been trying to break away from the top 32 bubble,” Shell said. “Top eight this semester is a very big achievement.”

The top eight titles earned ETSU an automatic bid to the round of 32 in the spring Grand Finals and gave the program national recognition at a level not previously seen.

The roster saw several changes throughout the year. The team captain graduated in December, and two new players came in during the fall.

Shell said one of the biggest challenges of this season was building chemistry and learning how to compete with a new group. Incoming players had played in tournaments previously and had experience coming into the season, but the team still had to adjust and learn how to compete together in a high-pressure environment.

Preparation also changed as the team moved closer to competing on the national stage. Shell said practices became much more intense than in previous years.

Although ETSU typically competes in one official season to help students balance school and esports, the Rocket League team committed heavily to practice. However, Shell said the Rocket League players showed strong dedication both to their academics and to the game.

The team practiced four to five times a week and, during weeks when ETSU hosted tournaments on campus, sometimes practiced up to seven times. Shell said that level of commitment required both dedication and prioritization.

That level of commitment paid off when the team proved itself against some of the top Rocket League teams in the country. Shell said one major turning point came during a fall competition in Atlanta, when ETSU defeated West Virginia University, which was considered one of the favorites to win at the time.

That win helped show the team it had the potential to make a deep postseason run and could compete with top programs.

Coaching during those high-pressure matches brought its own challenges and is unlike other sports. In Rocket League, there is no sideline coaching while games are being played. Instead, coaches only have a few minutes to talk with players during breaks between games or series.

Because of that limited time, Shell said part of his role is helping players manage pressure and keeping the team focused.

For Shell, representing ETSU on a national esports stage was especially meaningful because he has been involved with the program since its beginning.

“I remember when ETSU Esports had only one computer in a room and staff members invited students to play.”

Since then, ETSU Esports has grown from around 11 students to nearly 50 students. The program was announced in December 2019 and began its first competition season in fall 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shell said the Grand Finals appearance is another stepping stone for the future of ETSU Esports. Looking ahead, the program hopes to continue building consistency and using national recognition to bring more students to ETSU.

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