The Kishwaukee College Esports team has been building on a successful inaugural season, and one athlete’s current undefeated mark in “Hearthstone” stands out among the competition.
Chase Littlefield (DeKalb HS) is currently 8-0 for the Kougars this season in the fast-paced strategy card game. Hearthstone is one of several titles played in Esports, which is a form of sports competition using either single or multi-player video games.
“I love the game and it comes naturally to me. I try to practice an hour or two every day.” Littlefield said. “It’s one of the games I’ve been playing for a very long time and I knew I would be good at it.”
Littlefield said he has faced some tough competition over the past few weeks but has continued to come out on top in the one-on-one competition.
“There have definitely been challenges,” Littlefield said. “It’s been close but I might make one less mistake and that’s the difference.”
Littlefield’s success is just one example of a growing number of achievements in Kishwaukee’s budding, first-year Esports program. The team started with 10 students on the roster and the athletes are taking on different game titles this season to stay competitive.
“You don’t know what you’re really good at until you try it,” said Kishwaukee Esports Coach Matthew Hixon. “There is no limit to Esports because there are so many different titles.”
Titles such as “Rocket League,” “Overwatch,” and “Valorant” are among the most popular team games where the Kish team is working to build a rapport and has earned several victories.
“I really enjoy the communication we have built as a team,” Littlefield said. “We have improved a lot since the beginning of the semester.”
Hixon said the Kougars regularly take on schools from across the country since competition can be conducted virtually. As a new sport, Esports continues to build a foundation at the junior college level and Hixon noted Jackson College of Michigan and Centralia College of Washington as a couple of tough opponents they have matched up with. The National Junior College Athletic Association announced the creation of NJCAA Esports in September 2019. Kish has also faced schools from Kansas, New York, Utah and North Dakota so far this season.
The Kougars are looking to build on their first season with the addition of a new Esports Arena coming this winter. The upgraded equipment and furniture, partially funded by the Kishwaukee College Foundation, are expected to be in use during 2021. But adding more teammates to the roster is the biggest initiative. Hixon said with more people on board, athletes can focus their attention on one specific game as opposed to playing multiple titles.
“The more athletes we have, the better we will be able to compete,” Hixon said.
Want to join the team? To learn more about the program, join Coach Hixon for a virtual recruit information session at 5:30 pm Monday, Nov. 30 via Zoom. If interested in attending the session or to be considered as a potential recruit, contact Coach Hixon at mhixon@kish.edu or fill out our recruitment form HERE.