On November 6th, 2018, a few students sparked a new idea: A club that would bring the University of Detroit Jesuit’s competition up to date with the latest trends. A club that would bring home the first-ever trophy of the brand new modern marvel of entertainment: Video games.

In today’s day and age, what teenage boy doesn’t find themselves immersed in an online game? Ranging from online chess to first-person shooter games, it is impossible to miss out on a new interest from the internet’s vast library of today’s modern entertainment. However, among the expansive community of online gaming lies the most serious topic to be involved with: Esports.

“We play competitive video games against other schools to put it simply,” explained William Starrs ‘22, the current president of the University of Detroit Esport’s team, “everyone has their own talents and interests, whether that be basketball, football, bowling, quiz bowl, mock trial, or Esports. However, there is no sign of Esports growth stopping around the world, and there is no sign of Esports growth stopping in our school.”

There’s also no sign of the team’s success stopping anytime soon either: Having won numerous tournaments in the past, the Esports team is on a hot pursuit towards gaining the reputation and honor they rightfully deserve. It all started when they participated in their first-ever online tournament called MiHSEF, a Michigan non-profit Esports league, which cubs still compete in to this date.

Match after match, they eventually made their way to the 2018 Super Smash Brothers finals, where Angelo Murphy made the winning play of the game: “Angelo had one Ice Climber left. He iced Cloud off the left side of the map, and Cloud was unable to make a recovery,” recalls Starrs. “We erupted in joy, I could hardly believe it. We got our own trophy, and it showed how much potential our Cubs have in competitive gaming.” Not long after success, the Esports team returned home to the High to celebrate their victory with a spirit day, receiving much online attention and recognition for their achievements.

However, in March 2020, the COVID pandemic hit the University of Detroit Jesuit, and among all the class, clubs, and student-led organizations, the Esports team took a hard hit, resulting in some leadership positions of the club resigning to pursue other interests. William Starrs took the place as president, allowing him to reform, reshape and rebuild the Esports club into something more casual and welcoming:

“I made the club a lot more open and fun. Even if you don’t want to play competitively, there are a few people that just hang out,” explains Starrs, “and all our games are played from home. If our room reaches capacity, people can join our Zoom from their homeroom. Our Discord server is a lot more active than it used to be. I think that the more fun people have, the better we play.” Outside of making the club safer, Starrs is also focusing on making the club more open to leadership opportunities and experience:

“I’m making a new team captain system where each team has a captain that can schedule practices and scrimmages, essentially in charge of their team. I hope that this encouragement will result in improvement in our players. We have yet to win a MiHSEF championship [this year], and that’s something that I know will happen with commitment.” Through the opening of captains and team management, not only do cubs get the skills necessary to compete in virtual tournaments, but they also get the experience required to get a leader.

All in all, the Esports team is not only a club but a social group with arms wide open – open to any new ideas and new contributions that could be made to the Cub community. Although video games as a competitive sport seem to be quite under-appreciated, everyone has their taste of different interests and skills they would like to contribute to the numerous clubs here at The High. Nonetheless, with only three years under its belt, the club is just getting started; And, throughout the years, it’s exciting to see what the Esports team will do next.

If Interested in ESports contact William Stars at ws211659@student.uofdjesuit.org