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While esports is an online arena, some physical places can offer more esports opportunities than others.
Esports is on the rise here in Orange County. With a one hundred and eight million worldwide market revenue prediction set for 2021, it's fair to say that esports is a big deal. For students interested in esports, Orange County schools offer plenty of opportunities to get their feet wet. From competing middle school and high school esports clubs to regional and national level collegiate esports play, like found in Coastline’s Esports Club, Orange County is the place to be for esports.
High School Esports
A lot of high-level esports play can begin in high school esports clubs, if those clubs exist in your area. Thankfully for Orange County, that isn’t a problem.
Esports Clubs and Leagues
In Orange County, there are so many high schools engaging in esports that an entire esports league was formed by the North America Scholastic Esports Federation called the Orange County High School Esports League. From Fountain Valley to La Quinta, high schools all over Orange County and Southern California compete just as rival high school football teams compete. Esports clubs and leagues at the high school level grant their students the necessary skills to compete (and accept scholarships) for college esports teams.
Esports Arenas
Believe it or not, just like football stadiums and hockey rinks, people need places to play and watch esports games. Unsurprisingly at this point, Orange County is home to many esports arenas. These esports arenas are designed to host daily video game competitions, seat thousands of esports viewers during big tournaments, and stand as a gaming hub for the esports community. Tons of high schools compete at these arenas throughout Orange County to earn the title of champions. Orange County is truly blessed with so many esports opportunities.
College Esports
The next step in the natural progression of esports for young people is college. And by now you can guess that, yes, Orange County is home to many colleges with some of the best esports teams in the nation. Growing each year, esports in college is offering more and more gaming communities, esports connections, and scholarships.
Meet Coastline's Esports Teams
Choice Colleges
After students have proven themselves in high school esports championships, Orange County high school students have a plethora of great local colleges with exceptional esports teams to choose from. Collegiate esports is becoming one of the greatest places for fans to watch esports matches. Whether you want to go straight to a four-year university or start at the community college level, esports opportunities are available. From UC Irvine, Westminster College, and CSU Dominguez Hills to Orange Coast College, Irvine Valley College, and our very own Coastline College, college esports in Orange County is thriving. And within these college teams, students can earn money by winning tournaments to get them through college, learn valuable life skills, and take part in their favorite hobby all at the same time.
What College Esports Can Give You
College esports offers a lot to eager high school gamers. Take Coastline College for example. When students join the Esports Club and find a new group of friends, or join with their same friends from high school, they are becoming part of the collegiate esports universe while checking off some general ed classes required for their degree. Say you want to get a career in technical support. As a member of the Esports Club, you can gain marketable skills and knowledge and get a specialized education while at Coastline College. Students can perform in tournaments and gain the education they need; a win-win for everyone.
What You Can Give College Esports
College esports is like an unbalanced scale leaning more in favor of the student: colleges offer a facilitated esports community and an excellent education to students and students give back by growing that esports community and making a name for themselves and their college. Students give back more to a college than they recognize by shaping a healthy gaming community and helping teammates along their esports path. Coastline College grants endless opportunities to its students, but the students give back as well.
Esports Beyond College
Esports doesn’t end with college. With regional esports tournaments happening all the time and national esports leagues like the Call of Duty League and League of Legends Championship Series, the opportunities to play professional-level esports exists well after college. Just last month, the Coastline College Esports Teams for Rocket League and VALORANT competed in the Orange County Imaginology Tournament, paving the way towards the club’s future as a competing esports league. If you don’t see yourself being a world-famous gamer, that’s okay because there are so many other jobs within esports like game design, marketing, IT support, journalism, and coaching just to name a few.
Orange County is a hotbed for all things esports no matter your age. If you’re a high school student looking to apply to a great college with an active esports club, Coastline College is the place for you. Each semester, the Coastline Esports Club is looking to grow its members and get more experience competing in regional esports tournaments that Orange County is so privy to. Orange County is a wondrously beautiful place to live for so many reasons, esports is just one of them.
