Community of Champions: UBC collegiate esports

Having secured a spot in the NACC playoffs, the University of British Columbia has proven that they are among the best college teams in North America. The team is supported by an active campus community with over 2,000 members and is one of the only teams with a dedicated support staff. Writer Cameron Gilbert (@shirokaisen) gives us a glimpse into how the players built UBC eSports.

The UBC eSports club got its start in November of 2010. In order to incorporate more games as the club grew, Carman “Chieyuk” Lam and three of her friends re-organized the club from the UBC Starcraft club into its current form: the UBC eSports Association. Though originally a hardcore player in her own right, Lam decided to abandon competitive play to help build up the association and support the team. “I benched myself from our team and committed to UBCEA like a full time entrepreneur creating a startup company as an undergraduate student,” Lam explains, “My responsibilities included member engagement, event coordination, team management, social networking, marketing, and promotion.”

Those responsibilities have increased as League exploded over the past few years. The club has grown from 500 members to a massive 2100, and its management team has likewise gone from only three executives and 15 volunteers to 15 and 50, respectively. This growth has led to increased funding, sponsorships, and enough competitive interest to field four full squads. Their “A-team,” UBEASTC, is one of the strongest teams in the country: coming off a Top 4 at last year's NACC and the 2014 IvyLoL Championship.

UBC holds events for its 2,100 members throughout the year. From icebreakers and contests to coaching nights with pros and LAN tournaments with cash prizes, Lam and the team aim to put together something for everybody. “I would describe the atmosphere of our events similar to a gaming convention,” she relates, “People are having fun with other people sharing an interest, friends or strangers, whether they are learning, teaching, playing, or partying.”

UBC's competitive teams for 2015 are among the best the club has ever produced. Most schools' roster strength can vary dramatically year-to-year, but UBC heads that off by establishing sister teams to develop replacements. On top of that, they even scout local Vancouver high schools for talented graduates and help them apply to UBC. Two of the current members of UBEASTC were recruited in that way. Once they've got their talent, they arrange the applicants into teams that scrim over two weeks to pick starters.

That's where the support staff come in. UBCEA is one of the only clubs in the world to have dedicated staff supporting their players. In order to decide the rosters, UBC's coaches, team managers, and analysts will watch each of the games and listen to in-game communication and work together to build the best team. Once formed, the team's manager, coach, and analyst will continue to handle everything outside of the matches themselves to ensure the players are able to give 100% in every battle.

Last year the UBEASTC squad made it all the way to the North American Collegiate Championship semi-finals, where they competed at the LCS studio in Manhattan Beach for a shot at becoming North America's top team. Though Lam, UBC’s manager, wasn't able to attend personally, she took care of all of the players' flights and compiled as much match preparation info as she could. Wesley “Daijurjur” Lee, UBC senior and returning top laner, considers the event a highlight of his 2014: “Being able to see the Manhattan Beach studio, practicing in a room where the LCS pros play, and then getting to play on the same stage was extremely cool. It was an amazing experience.”

With both returning talent and top tier recruits, UBC's giving it everything they've got this year to get back to that stage. Lam and the coaches institute a solo queue quota, and they keep track of each game to ensure they're practicing the right champions. Meanwhile, the coaches and analysts comb through their opponents' recorded matches to scout for any exploitable weaknesses and join the team for picks and bans.

With such a demanding workload both in the classroom and on the Rift, burnout is a real risk - but the team manages to support each other through it. “They are always confident, pumped, and having too much fun during matches and practices,” Lam boasts. The players work together both on the Rift and in the classroom, helping each other get their homework done in time for practice. “I smile each time seeing how they support each other outside of the game.”

Their dedication has shown results so far - they've taken on top squads like last year's NACC champion San Jose State University, and they've recently qualified for a spot in the NACC Playoffs. However, both Lam and Lee caution that the matches have been much closer than the standings indicate. “A few of our victories were quite narrow,” Lee says, “I feel like if we improve on our work ethic for solo queue, then we could be much further ahead with the talent we have been given.”

The collegiate esports scene is one where every person's contribution can make a huge difference. Hoping to create something sustainable, Lam left competition herself so she could build a community. “I realized I want others to be able to do the same even years from now. My goal at the moment is to substitute myself with a well-documented care package of best practices for the club so that club operations can run more efficiently.” Whenever Lam does move on from the UBCEA, she's leaving behind an organization that's among the best in North America.

For players like Lee, the UBCEA has provided an experience they'll remember for the rest of their lives. “I love competition, and League of Legends happens to be the thing that I can compete in at the highest level. I wanted to show all those hours I put into the game mean something, and now I can.”

UBEASTC Roster:
Top: Wesley "Daijurjur" Lee, Senior
Jungle: Jason "ProofOfPayment" Dong, Sophomore
Mid: Bob "BobqinXD" Qin, Freshman
ADC: Sean "Heat Waves" Wang, Freshman
Support: Jeremy "Remie" Koberstein, Senior
Sub: Brian "TehBChoi" Choi, Senior
Sub: Eric "Mochiballs" Chou, Freshman
Manager: Carman “Chiyeuk” Lam, Alumni
Coach: Larry “Dang” Dang, Not Affiliated
Coach: Austin “Gate” Yu, Alumni
Analyst: Harry “dLuxe” Cho, Alumni

It’s not too late to participatein the 2015 NACC. Registration is open until March 5 at nacc.wellplayed.org. Grab some friends, rally a team, and see how far you will go!