The Phoenix College eSports team hosted a Smash Bros tournament in partnership with SAK Gaming on Saturday Jan. 8th, where local gamers from Maricopa County came to compete in doubles and singles tournaments, hoping to bring community college esports more exposure.
The Smash Bros tournament had 99 participants and is just the beginning of fielding interests throughout the Phoenix Union School District to attract the gaming side of athletics at Phoenix College. "This was an awesome turnout and looking forward to the next step with eSports here at Phoenix College," said Kristine Kincaid, the Phoenix College Athletic Director.
"This is the first big event for Phoenix College eSports," said Jeremy Sandidge, the Phoenix College eSports Operations Officer. "It is in partnership with SAK Gaming which does a lot of Smash Bros events."
SAK Gaming which started in April of 2015, hosts Smash Bros tournaments across Arizona and recently did a community colleges series where a fraction of the proceeds at each community college hosting the event would go to the esports team to help the team grow. Matthew Sandoval, the Phoenix College eSports President, was a Smash Bros player and connected Phoenix College and SAK Gaming. "SAK Gaming really helped us get the word out and we are really happy they were able to help us out," said Sandoval.
SAK Gaming co-founder and tournament organizer Stephen Shackelford hopes that this partnership with Phoenix College can do more within the community college esports arena. "This event shows there is a strong interest in esports among the student body not only at Phoenix College but all of the colleges and high schools in the area," said Shackelford.
In 2019 the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE) division was founded. This is the only national eSports association exclusively for two-year colleges. Phoenix College eSports started in January 2020 with help from an already existing esports team at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. However, the pandemic put a hold on Phoenix College growing their esports team that could go to a competition. "There were kind of mixed teams with two or three students from different community colleges to form a team," said Travis Maldonado, the Phoenix College eSports advisors. "Since students came back, we were able to have our own teams now." A goal moving forward for Phoenix College eSports is to recruit members to go to sanctioned NJCAAE gaming events where players can establish their competitive level and status within the eSports arena, said Kincaid.
The NJCAAE is committed to the development of the student athlete as a whole with creating new opportunities that lead to retention and completion rate at colleges; with the Smash Bros Tournament bringing in local gamers across Maricopa County, Phoenix College eSports looks to capitalize on this success in a meaningful way.
"What I identify as Phoenix College eSports being successful is if I can get one student who gets a scholarship out of this to go here or any of the other colleges or universities, one student to me would be a success," said Maldonado. "I don't care so much about winning; I want them to show up and have a good time."
By: Nicole Day, PC Sports Writer