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INTRODUCTION & MISSION

Introducing The University of Oklahoma Esports & Co-Curricular Innovation, or OU ECCI, Summer Camps portal! One of our missions has always been to advocate for esports topics across all of our developments and energies. Whether it is journalism opportunities in broadcast, community planning logistics, academic opportunity awareness, or competitive energy we want to not only tell the world but also allow those interested to come along for the ride.

Our goal is to create comprehensive camp programming catering to different audiences targeting K-12 demographics as our contribution to the growing topic. Our coaches and mentors are pulled straight from our active developments that execute regularly throughout the school year. They are comprised of vetted upperclassmen, alumni, and employees of OU ECCI.

We want to focus on substance in 2023 versus profitability and are keeping the entry costs low for high caliber camps as a means of potential recruitment to OU, to facilitate impactful opportunities to the potential next generation of Sooners, and create another value addition in the consideration of attending the University of Oklahoma. All camps are capped at $220 or less. All camps are designed for ages 13 and up. All camps are VIRTUAL ONLY for one last year. All fees go exclusively to the coaches facilitating camps. 

WHAT IS ESPORTS?

Esports is the world of competitive, organized video gaming. Competitors from different leagues, teams, and countries face off in games that test their skills against their opponent’s skills. Titles like Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Overwatch have established leagues in which esports teams based in cities pay salary to players to play at a very high level. Esports is more than playing a video game in your bedroom, and this camp is an introduction to what it means to be a teammate, a competitor, and a playmaker in esports.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ESPORTS AND GAMING?

The best way to describe this is to say that online gaming is like playing a pick up game at the local gym while Esports is like going to daily practice, on a team that plays in a league that feeds it’s best players into a greater league after performing well in scheduled matches.

These camps are designed to develop competitive players exclusively. They are not for leisure or casual gamers and are intended to produce stronger skill sets in game. 

WHY OU ESPORTS CAMPS?

The University of Oklahoma has actively been developing esports infrastructure internally and abroad since Fall 2016. In that time we have developed a diverse program with heavy emphasis on path to industry showcasing the entire industry of opportunity and not just “playing video games”. This has also helped us mentor and build leadership through our students who understand our intent. All camps are facilitated by the very coaches and captains that lead the official OU teams.

GLOBAL PREREQUISITES

  • Must be between 13 and 19 years of age
  • Must be willing to receive instruction knowing the intent is growth
  • Must be willing to be in a team environment
  • Must be on time and attentive
  • Must have a solid internet connection and a working PC/Console (Depending on title)
  • Must have Discord
  • Must have a microphone
  • We will do our best to accommodate any specific needs

GLOBAL EXPECTATIONS

  • An objective-oriented program focused on individual and team-based improvement with multiple performance reviews along the way
  • A positive environment with specific feedback given with constant points to improve on
  • Multiple coaches to ensure active mentorship for all attendees
  • Promotion of soft skill development and communication skills
  • Promotion of wellness in regards to time balance, stretching, nutrition, and physical activity
  • Zero tolerance for toxicity, negativity, and malicious behavior
  • Streaming of Day 1 interactions to provide perspective to parents and guardians

OU CAMPS GENERAL FAQ

What titles will you be developing for?

We are only interested in providing programming we have execution and expertise in. The titles we develop curriculum for are programs that have over a year of execution throughout the school year and their coaching staff is vetted to be professional, articulate, and respectful.

Who is eligible to attend?

Ages 13 and up ONLY! Each camp has unique prerequisites. From the platform (PC, console) to preexistent skill ability to playstyle we want as many campers to be involved as possible. These prerequisites will be defined in each individual camp listing.

In the context of gender-focused programming, when we are capable of facilitating physical programming on our campus we will explore this not because we believe in limiting participation, but because we believe in elevating demographics that need more attention statistically and historically.

""M" for Mature" programming?

It is no mystery everyone’s sensitivities to potentially violent video games differ, however, we look at it as an opportunity to provide mentorship about technique, emotional control, and sportsmanship because they are playing them already. This is how we can contribute to positive community influence versus just turning our back to them. Games that are rated “M” are treated the same as those that are not from the curriculum development standpoint. These camps are not designed for day 1 beginners, but are for those that have put at least a little time into the game/topic already and desire coaching. Parents are involved in the registration process and are made aware of what they are subscribing to.

How can I learn more about the University of Oklahoma overall?

Naturally, we are students, staff, faculty, and alumni of The University of Oklahoma. We are proud advocates of our university. As we continue to elevate the esports topic, we are just one opportunity that exists at OU. It all starts with visiting www.ou.edu, but it doesn’t stop there. We are plugged in with our admissions and recruitment energies at the university level and promote conversation with them directly. We will gladly give you a very warm introduction to our personnel that can answer OU specific questions outside of the esports opportunities.

What about university recruitment, scholarships, academic opportunities?

We know you’re interested in representing the University of Oklahoma formally in a licensed jersey, on a scholarship, and studying what you love. We’ve been working on all the above since 2016! Since Fall 2021 WE NOW HAVE THEM ALL! That aside there are tons of degrees that correlate to esports career fields. Journalism, engineering, business to name a few. You can get scholarships through academic excellence also.

REAL TALK: Esports in the educational sector is still very young in both K-12 and Higher Ed. There are many opportunities already popping up across the U.S. We are firm believers that we collectively owe it to our future generations to provide them with information and guidance to make a well-educated decision. Anybody entering and exiting educational journeys in the industry of esports is a win for everyone REGARDLESS of the brand and location.

2023 OU ESPORTS CAMPS OVERVIEWS & SIGNUPS

Click on each image to register for camps. If you’d like more details about each camp, their camp lead, and a general overview of the schedule scroll a little further down to find camp overviews.

(VIRTUAL) Overwatch (PC) (Gold 5 thru Grandmaster 5 ranks) - June 12-16 - $220

ABOUT OU OVERWATCH

The Overwatch Esports program at The University of Oklahoma is a team of committed individuals that have played at extremely high levels in competitive Overwatch for years. Their Head Coach has been coaching Overwatch specifically for 5 years, has been a coach in esports for the most of the last decade, and is an education student at OU that knows how to teach. Our goal at OU is for every player to leave our camp with a better understanding of the game and what it means to be in esports!

OU OW SPECIFIC CAMP EXPECTATIONS

This camp is designed for players that are looking to improve their own gameplay as well as their ability to perform within a team. Due to this, there are expectations for both the players and the coaches during this camp.

As this camp is an esports camp, and NOT a Video Game/Online Gaming camp, the expectation is to work and apply yourself daily. No matter the division, every player will come to camp ready to grasp new concepts, receive individual and group coaching, and perform at a level consistent with their rank. 

The expectation for every player should be to improve during this camp. However, simply showing up for the allotted 6 hours and then going back to bad habits will not sustain any improvement you made. This is why part of this camp will be dedicated to how to practice and how to improve, not just what to improve on. 

It should also be said that this camp is going to teach players how to function in a team, as Overwatch is a team esport. Every player is going to learn what leadership, teamwork, responsibility, communication, and self-reflection is during this camp. These skills are essential to improving your gameplay but are applicable to everyday life as well. Just as any sports team relies on these skills, so does esports!

CLICK IMAGE TO SIGN UP!

CAMP SCHEDULE

At this stage in a player’s development they understand the absolute basics about the game but make fundamental errors or mistakes in your decision making and mechanics. This beginning camp will be geared to correcting these mistakes so that the player has more of an opportunity to improve. To achieve this the following curriculum and schedule will be used:

MONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAY 
1pm CSTIntro and settings/equipmentVOD: Novice PositioningMental and Physical Health LectureTeam Play, Ultimates, and CDsThinking and Planning Lecture (INFO)
2pm CSTPUGsScrim (75 minutes)Scrim (75 minutes)Warmup routineWarmup Routine
3pm CSTBreakBreakBreakBreakTourney
4pm CSTNovice MechanicsScrim (90 minutes)Scrim (90 minutes)ScrimTourney
5pm CSTPUGsKovaaks Intro:

Mechanics Intermediate

Self-VOD LessonScrim

Tourney

(VIRTUAL) Madden 23 (ALL PLATFORMS & SKILLSETS) - July 10-14 - $220

ABOUT OU MADDEN

The University of Oklahoma has been developing Madden since Spring 2021. While Madden traditionally has not represented an “esports” title in the earlier years it has absolutely grown in popularity with the rise of esports collectively. Naturally, we are OU. WE DO FOOTBALL! As we wait for “College Football” to get released in the upcoming years we have put energy into developing Madden energy as a part of our collective effort.

WHY THIS CAMP?

In the scene, Madden and other sports titles are smaller in comparison but it is also unique compared to other titles. Madden especially is a one person game, meaning the player can participate without needing any teammates in order to compete at a high level. Through my years of experience in competing I am able to view the game in a way that most causal players are not. I do have experience in coaching and teaching this game at a high level as well. Any camper that decides to participate will advance their game and knowledge, whether they are just starting and casually playing or have competed before at the high school level. That is the Coach Tran guarantee.

EXPECTATIONS OF THIS CAMP

At the end of this camp, participants will be able to read coverages on offense. They will learn basic and advanced route combos that can be applied to any formation that will help them win on offense. They will also learn how to correctly view the game from a running standpoint. Campers will also be taught skills on the defensive side of the ball as well. They will learn how to mask their coverages, to create a uniform look that will make it difficult for their opponent to read their coverages. Participants can expect to learn the basics of the game and not just “cheese plays”. Learning the basics of the game will allow them to succeed in every Madden.

CLICK IMAGE TO SIGN UP!

LOOSE DAILY CAMP STRUCTURE

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday
1PMIntroduction, history of maddenMental Health checkWinning mentalityTime managementSpecial Guest: Civil Madden to talk about content creation as an avenue for Madden
2PMLearn how to read cover 2 and 4 pt1Learn how to read cover 3 and cover 0 pt2How to disguise coverages Pt1User defensive skills, and ball carrier visionTournament
4PMScrimmagesScrimmagesScrimmagesScrimmagesTournament
5PMScrimmage/QuizScrimmage/QuizScrimmage/QuizScrimmage/QuizTournament

HISTORY & 2023 OU ESPORTS CAMPS LEADERSHIP

Our camp coaches and staff are a small portion of our much larger organization. We have OU staff, students, and alumni involved in helping build this extension of our developments out. In Summer 2020, and as the COVID impacts stopped practically all programming everywhere, we started offering virtual summer camps as one of the only departments at The University of Oklahoma. In doing so we started to mature our own practices of developing summer camps, growing coaches, mentoring youth, and diversifying our programs to fill in the Summer months. Thanks to this collective efforts of our Intercollegiate Esports pillar we are able to scale up camps programming to provide synergy across differing titles and continue to build our legacy in the space.