Esports: How FEU's Tams FX are Demolishing "Bad Influence" Stigma
(SPOT.ph) College years provide young adults with the training and opportunity to shape society. Groups of like-minded individuals with a strong united voice and advocacy create platforms of awareness for various social issues. One such example is the destigmatization of gaming and esports which has, for years, been the scapegoat of conservative parents and people of power for their “bad influence” on the youth.
Today, however, certain schools have acknowledged esports as part of the changing world. The NCAA has also started to incorporate esports in varsity leagues through the Collegiate Center of Esports, focusing on games such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
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Far Eastern University recently acknowledged esports organization “Tams FX” (TFX) as part of the student body and at times recognized their esports teams as a representative of the school similar to other varsity teams.
“As the esports scene progresses in FEU, the student gamers are given more and more recognition as they represent the University in numerous tournaments.” shares Princess Catindig, CEO of TFX.
How to remove the stigma on esports
The stigma on gaming often comes from the core that non-gamers can’t understand how gaming is to be taken seriously. Tim Alpherts in a Ted Talk discussed the destigmatization of gaming through university esports by setting up a grassroots esports league. Alpherts said this can be done by engaging with people who know little about the field and showing them that esports should be taken seriously through ways such as asking non-gamers to design logos for tournaments.
This in effect can start a snowball for the non-gamers engaged, planting a seed that esports is not child’s play, but a discipline to be taken seriously. Showcasing esports, according to Alpherts, can allow audiences the opportunity to watch and cheer for players, despite not fully understanding the game at a deep level, similar to regular sports.
Another level of destigmatization is catered towards players who may be shy to participate because of the thought that they are not good enough to play at a high level. This is resolved in Alpherts’ talk through the promotion of an open and welcoming environment across all skill levels of players and even gender, as some females are not openly proud to show that they enjoy games.
FEU's TFX leads destigmatization of esports
The ideas presented by Alpherts are echoed in practice by TFX as the org has a healthy spread of representation in both gender and skill; connecting with other people that share your passion comes first over competitive skill.
“Esports is more than just responsible and competitive gaming. It is also about creating a community, empowering people, and making a difference”, said Catindig.
With the support of organizations such as AcadArena and the passion of its members, TFX has grown to be a recognizable name in the local college esports scene.
However, one does not need to simply wait and pray for your college to come up with their own version of a college esports org. Commitment, passion, dedication, and management competence are the foundations of starting a grassroots community for esports, and just about any hobby.
As more students step up and be proud of their passion for esports, they can slowly change the narrative towards gaming from that of game addicts and social outcasts, to one that exhibits discipline, mental fortitude, and competitive spirit, one game at a time.
About the author: James Dominic Flores is a lecturer at Far Eastern University Manila, specializing in psychology. He is also a competitive gamer specializing in fighting games.
