Add as a preferred source on Google


Community College Esports Program to Foster Communication and Community

MCCC esports

Esports student-athletes at Montgomery County Community College

A new coed esports program at Pennsylvania's Montgomery County Community College will involve more than just playing video games. Starting next spring, Mustangs eSports aims to engage students with a sense of community and inclusivity.

"A major benefit of Mustangs eSports is that it will bring together students who have a shared passion, and it will encourage them to communicate with each other as they work together developing their strategy and resolving conflicts," said Ryan Plummer, esports coordinator and coach, in a statement. "Through practice and competition, they will learn to work well as a team. All of these skills will help them succeed in the classroom and in their careers."

"At MCCC, the 'e' in Mustangs eSports stands for everyone," added Kelly Dunbar, director of athletics and campus recreation. "On our campuses, we foster an all-inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong. ESports provides an opportunity for all students to participate on a varsity team."

To qualify for Mustangs eSports, students must be enrolled in one of the college's academic programs, take a least 12 credits per semester, earn a grade point average of at least 2.0, and pass a physical. In practice rounds, students warm up with stretches, review skills and techniques to improve performance, and exercise to increase endurance and hand-eye coordination.

For the program's first season, students will compete in Rocket League, a soccer video game in which players control rocket-powered cars to hit the ball.

MCCC hopes its esports program will "open the door for other possibilities, including the potential expansion of academic programs, particularly in the technology field, and integrated learning opportunities with community and industry partners," the college said in a news announcement.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education.

  • three glowing stacks of tech-themed icons

    Research: LLMs Need a Translation Layer to Launch Complex Cyber Attacks

    While large language models have been touted for their potential in cybersecurity, they are still far from executing real-world cyber attacks — unless given help from a new kind of abstraction layer, according to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Anthropic.

  • Hand holding a stylus over a tablet with futuristic risk management icons

    Why Universities Are Ransomware's Easy Target: Lessons from the 23% Surge

    Academic environments face heightened risk because their collaboration-driven environments are inherently open, making them more susceptible to attack, while the high-value research data they hold makes them an especially attractive target. The question is not if this data will be targeted, but whether universities can defend it swiftly enough against increasingly AI-powered threats.

  • magnifying glass revealing the letters AI

    New Tool Tracks Unauthorized AI Usage Across Organizations

    DevOps platform provider JFrog is taking aim at a growing challenge for enterprises: users deploying AI tools without IT approval.