BEYOND THE CONTROLLER Due to the popularity of digital sporting events, highlights shares the journeys of some of the school’s esports gamers BY NATALIE FALLS, STAFF WRITER
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ROM THE POPULARIZATION OF new technology around the world, to having an outlet for competition, the sport of gaming allows players to enter new realities as they take the faces of avatars and combat new challenges. With an estimated
38 million fans worldwide according to CNN, gaming is so much more than the interactive and bold graphics, boss battles and ranking in the MVP system for earning the highest score; it is about the drive and thrill that they feel in the real-life adventures
that happen beyond the controller. For junior Katherine Blanco and seniors Rafael Martinez and Daniel Marrero, gaming has not only instilled a competitive drive but also the opportunity to engage with their peers virtually.
rafael martinez
Courtesy of Rafael Martinez
20 sports
Hungry for competition, senior Rafael Martinez loves all things competitive gaming. With a motivation to better his technique and develop his own unique gaming strategy, Martinez devotes his time and dedication to the sport daily. Games such as League of Legends (LOL) and Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) are what quench his thirst for competition because they allow him to put his skills and original strategy to good use. Martinez enters each round of a game more determined than the last, as learning from his mistakes and developing a new game plan on the fly is what keeps him eager to put his skills to the ultimate test. Gaming has not only helped Martinez keep his hand-eye coordination up to par, but his individual skills and capabilities as well. Being heavily involved in the sport has not only sparked Martinez’s creativity but his confidence as well, for now he finds himself able to conquer any task, whether it be online or offline. “I enjoy these games because of what they bring out of me. Through these games I’ve grown as a person,
I’ve become more confident in my own skills overall. They bring out my creativity and as a writer that is a massive thing for me,” Martinez said. Gaming has also impacted Martinez’s life by helping him branch out in terms of confidence and improve his skills, while also allowing him to connect and bond with others. For him, there is much more to competitive gaming than the rush of defeating your opponent, for gaming is community driven and allows for people to come together. “Gaming has affected my day to day by being the thing that has connected to me with my friends,” Martinez said. I’ve had the same tight-knit friend group since first grade. As time has passed we’ve grown apart slightly but our shared love for games as a pastime still keeps us together and it really does help build friendships and communal feelings.” Martinez’s love for competitive gaming has helped equip him with confidence not only in the world of gaming, but in more areas he is passionate about, like creative writing and acting.
