|
 “I
am beyond thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to head the
Hawks eSports program,” said Belcher. “It truly is a privilege to
join a community that shares my passion for eSports and values the
importance of strategic gameplay, teamwork, and sportsmanship. I am
committed to harnessing the talent and potential of our players,
fostering a culture of excellence, and achieving success in the
virtual arena.”
Belcher fills the slot left by departing coach Jarrod Rackauskas.
“The bar has been set high by Coach Rackauskas and many of the
athletes who will be leaving the program this year, but I am
confident that this transition will not be a setback for the team's
momentum,” said Belcher. “My goal is to continue building the
program to be one that assists each student involved with further
developing the skills they need to be successful in either a future
career in competitive eSports or whatever other future endeavors
they wish to pursue.”
Coach Belcher holds an MA in Communication Media and Critical Theory
from Eastern Illinois University and a BA in Strategic Communication
from Eureka College. He brings a passion for Esports to his first
coaching role.
[to top of second column] |
Established in the Fall of the
2020-2021 academic year, Heartland’s Esports program has
captured individual championships in Madden 24 (Jono Edmonson),
NBA2K (Jono Edmonson), Street Fighter 6 (Caleb Spicer), Super
Smash Brothers Ultimate (Luke Sherman), Super Smash Bros
Ultimate Crew (Luke Sherman, Matthew “Bo” Larson, Alex
Baccheschi).
Last year Heartland Esports competed in League of Legends, CoD,
Rocket League, Street Fighter 6, Mario Kart 8 1v1, Overwatch 2,
Fortnite Build, Hearthstone, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate,
NBA2k, and Madden.
[Steve Fast
Assistant to the President, Public Information and Communication
Heartland Community College] |
