Barnsley College’s Esports team opens inaugural season with a win

@BarnsleyCollege’s #Esports team, BSA Griffins, kicked off its inaugural season with a win against Queen Mary’s College (@QMCollege) in front of over 18,000 viewers. 

The team of athletes won their opening fixtures in League of Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League. The competitive games demand teamwork, communication skills, being a good critical thinker, problem solving and quick decision making.

The Sports department has played a vital role in the creation of the new BTEC Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in Esports (Electronic Sports). Working alongside Pearson and the British Esports Association, the College has helped with the writing and development of the new suite of qualifications. The qualifications are the first in the world and are at the forefront of the Esports industry.

Tyler Holmes, Level 3 Esports student and Rocket League Captain, said: “It felt really good to win and to perform in front of over 18,000 viewers, it’s always going to be a fantastic feeling after we’ve worked so hard in the try outs.

“It’s fantastic to be in form again and I hope we can carry this through the season, also huge praise goes to my fellow students Jason Bingham and Charlie Stoke. We communicated excellently throughout, working on our strategies in between rounds – which is something you don’t see on the stream. I can’t thank them enough, and we now need to stay complacent and humble. We can iron out the bumps with some more playtime and continue to improve.”

Kalam Neale, Sport Curriculum Leader at Barnsley College, added: “Featuring live on the British Esports Association stream was a great honour and a fantastic experience for our students. It marked a milestone in our Esports journey and to see what started as an idea in 2018 turn into such an amazing experience yesterday for our students and staff is a huge achievement for everyone at Barnsley College.

“Our Esports commitment is putting Barnsley back on the map as an industry leader and we are excited about the opportunities that Esports education and our Esports academy will continue provide for people in the local area and to all of our students that travel to Barnsley to access this unique opportunity, some from as far as Liverpool, Derby and Bradford.

“To see the qualifications come to life in such a professional environment that showcased the talent of both teams, demonstrated sportsmanship and provided this level of exposure for our College and students is a huge step in supporting us to educate others on what Esports is all about.”