Since its opening in 2000, the Alfond Sports Center has been a temple of athleticism at Rollins College, with basketball courts echoing with squeaking sneakers and volleyball matches in full swing. But beyond the familiar rhythms of traditional sports, a different kind of competition thrives—a realm where strategy unfolds through pixels and teamwork transcends physical boundaries.
Tucked away in room 243, Rollins’ Esports team represents a new frontier of athletic excellence. Here, students on teams competing in Valorant and Overwatch are proving that skill, precision, and teamwork are not confined to physical courts but flourish in digital landscapes just as powerfully.
Ben Katz (‘22), Rollins alum and current Esports Director, entered his sophomore year in 2019 looking to help establish an Esports team at Rollins. “I noticed that some of the other schools had Esports teams around Florida, and I thought we could do that,” said Katz.
While ideas of an Esports league had been discussed previously, it wasn’t until Katz’s leadership that Esports at Rollins evolved into what it is today. With the original interest meeting having fifteen attendees, the community surrounding Esports has skyrocketed with two hundred active members and seventeen members representing the school on competitive teams.
Rollins Esports offers a variety of competitive multiplayer games, with two primary teams focused on Overwatch and Valorant, both first-person shooter games. Overwatch is set 60 years in the future, following the rise and fall of a global peacekeeping group. Valorant revolves around a secret organization, the VALORANT Protocol, that assembles elite agents with extraordinary powers to protect the world from chaos. While these two games are the primary focus of the competitive teams, students also participate in other popular games, like Rocket League, League of Legends, Super Smash Bros., and Call of Duty.
The creation and expansion of Rollins Esports reflects strong student interest and collaboration. Katz has a personal connection to the club’s growth, having started his competitive gaming journey in Rocket League.
“I got my gaming PC in 2019, and that’s when I started playing Rocket League,” Katz said. “That was the team I competed on when I was a student.”
The games and teams offered by the club have been shaped by student demand, highlighting the active role students play in the development of Rollins Esports.
“It’s mostly what students have interest in,” said Katz. “If we have enough people for a team, we form a team.”
While video games are often viewed as isolating, with the stereotype of gamers locked away in front of their screens, the reality proves to be quite the opposite—especially in competitive Esports. Games like Overwatch, Valorant, and Rocket League require constant teamwork, communication, and strategy. Players are required to collaborate closely, communicate information, and build trust within their teams. Rather than isolating people, these games foster connections, both within teams and across communities, while also helping players develop key skills, like problem-solving, leadership, and adaptability.
“It’s a common misconception because you’re not playing alone even if you’re playing by yourself,” said Katz. “You’re always communicating with the other players on your team.”
Throughout the course of the semester, Rollins’ Esports team has witnessed some incredible victories, with the Valorant competitive team securing a flawless season complete with seven victories and zero losses, securing the position as the NECC Division 6 Valorant Champions. Other victories of the season include Overwatch victories against competing schools, such as Vanderbilt, Roanoke College, Florida Tech, and Florida Poly.
As the community grows and evolves, Rollins Esports stands as a testament to the power of gaming as a tool for connection, strategy, and excellence—both on and off the screen.
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