AHS Grad Takes Gaming to a Collegiate Level Over 170 universities and colleges in the United States are members
representing the University of Oklahoma,” said Jefferson. When asked
of the National Association of Collegiate Esports and offer officially
what the benefits are of being on a collegiate team Jefferson said that
recognized varsity status and scholarships to players. There are more
it can prepare you for a chance to go professional after college, it can
than 30 U.S. colleges and universities that offer scholarships for gamers,
help you with your communication skills, leadership, and the college
according to scholarships.com. Professional players can earn a salary
scholarships that are offered are very beneficial.
anywhere from $12,000 a year to over $400,000 depending on their ranking and the professional team they are on. Argyle High School 2021 graduate Jefferson Arrington has always had a love for playing the PC game Overwatch and combined with his focus on academics he has turned his love for gaming into a collegiate level opportunity. He is Argyle ISD’s first graduate to play on a varsity collegiate
Michael Aguilar, the Director of Esports and Co-Curricular Innovation at The University of Oklahoma stated that OU started its Esports program in 2016. Michael Aguilar knew he wanted to focus on community first when building the program. He said that gaming has been a part of his life since the mid-80s. The Esports community is now one of the largest communities on the campus at The University of Oklahoma with just over
scholarship-level esports team. He plays Main Support on the University
2,700 members. Within the Esports community at OU there are six pillars
of Oklahoma's Varsity Overwatch Team coached by Joshua Riesenberg.
of development. The six pillars are Leadership, Community, Media &
Finishing his first year at OU, Jefferson is a Biology Major, in the OU
News, Production, Streaming Entertainment, and Intercollegiate Sports.
Scholars Program and has spent most of his time studying, running a
“While I’ve found many of our peers across the space have an exclusive
small business, and doing something he really enjoys, which is
emphasis on the intercollegiate esports aspects, I wanted to promote
playing Overwatch.
a path to industry versus a path to pro. In doing so it allows for a ton of
He began playing when he was around 14 years old. He chose to play Overwatch because it had just recently been released and he found interest in learning how to play it and he loves problem-solving. At his best rank, he has been at the highest level of Grandmaster with an SR of 4150. When asked how long it took him to get to this rank he said it took about three years of work. He started playing in his free time after school and on the weekends but made sure he had balance in his life by being involved in other activities. After deciding to attend the University of Oklahoma Jefferson did some research on their Esports Program and was impressed with the Esports community, he knew immediately that he wanted to be a part of their team. When asked what he likes most about being on the team he said that it is definitely the community behind the team. “It is nice having a group of friends who all have the same interests and goals,” said Jefferson. He also said he hopes to encourage other students to work toward their goals and know that they can be a part of a collegiate gaming team as well. Jefferson said that his team usually scrimmages three to four times a week at about two hours per scrimmage but the amount can vary depending on if they have tournaments or competitions coming up. “One of my favorite memories that I will take away from this year will be the recent trip our team took to The University of Kentucky to compete, where we placed 5th overall.” There are six players on the OU Varsity Overwatch Team, but he said they are scouting for more players right now and have a few recruits so they hope to have a larger team next school year. “It is important to me to be a part of this team because I feel like I am helping to grow the program and I feel honored to be
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• Argyle Insights • Summer 2022
students to get involved versus the small numbers that make up the team rosters themselves. Each of these pillars can be found as components that make the gaming community and Esports entertainment a reality when fans consume the content.”
