MIDLAND, Texas —
Esports competitors from across texas and around the country came out to the texas battle bowl to compete in various gaming competitions.
But how does one even start to get involved in something like esports?
Well the drive to compete can start somewhere as close as home.
“Well, I played a lot with just my friends and really my main story is that I played my cousin a lot and he would just always beat me. So ever since I was younger, I just kept trying to get better to beat him and then eventually I did and then the next thing was to just go play competitive.” said Tiki Duquella, a Smash Bros competitor for Lubbock Christian University.
From there he would compete in various smash bros tournaments either in his local area or travel others.
Years later Duquella got his foot into the door at Lubbock Christian university where he was scouted.
“I just went to a tourney at their college, right? And then I beat one of their really good players then the coach actually took me into his office and was like ‘Hey, we’re going to offer you a scholarship to play for our school’. And then it worked out from there.”
This opportunity would change his life by taking a huge weight of his and his family’s shoulders.
“So what ended up happening was my plan was to go into community college and then end up applying to Texas Tech. Cause once you get your GPA up then you’re just guaranteed to go there. But financially it was going to be a burden... And because I got that offer it really impacted my life cause now, I’m saving a ton of money that I can use to go to the college I want to while still doing my cores at this place.”