A Coach’s Mindset: Esports Fall ‘21 Season Preview
As the Fall 2021 semester begins with a productive start, the Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) Esports team is ready to get back in action and win big! Esports coach Lewis Smith had a lot to say about his goals and visions for the upcoming season.
With nine Esports teams competing this semester, there is much to look forward to in terms of competition. Coach Smith is confident that all teams are equipped to succeed and perform well in their national or conference leagues. For the teams a part of the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) and Maryland Esports Training Arena (META) conferences, the expectations are clear. Every team should make the playoffs (Top 8), the expectation is to make it to the second round (Top 4), and the goal is winning the title.
While all teams show promise to win, the Overwatch and Fortnite teams stand out among the group. With the program's first team-specific coach, Andrew Wahl, the Overwatch program has developed immensely, and after a successful season last year the team is ready to win big. The other prospective team this season is Fortnite as they have the ability to win a national championship with three outstanding players ranked top twenty-five in the nation.
As the program begins its fourth competition season there are a few teams that show promising competitive scenes. Titles such as Rocket League and Overwatch have proven to draw consistent interest, but Valorant, a debuting collegiate Esport, provides a lot of room for growth and success as one of the teams. Super Smash Bros is another promising team with a dedicated group of members that will be able to get back to in person competition as COVID has seriously impacted these teams nationwide.
In terms of the competitive schedule this semester, Overwatch, Rocket League, Valorant and Super Smash Bros are all competing in two leagues (NECC & META), while Rainbow Six Siege and League of Legends compete in one (just NECC). All teams are staying busy as at least two competitions will take place every weeknight, making the campus arena an exciting place to be as the season kicks into full swing.
Keep up with the team at twitter.com/CUWEsports and watch all the action on twitch.tv/cuwesports.
