Each month, David Kirk, director of Redbird Esports will highlight a topic of interest in the esports community and answer reader-submitted questions. Have an esports question? Email David at QuestionsforKirk@IllinoisState.edu for a chance to be featured in an upcoming article.
Being a national leader in collegiate esports, it’s important to Redbird Esports to share our knowledge and success with the Bloomington/Normal community. One way we’re able to do this is through our summer camp offerings. After a successful inaugural camp season in the summer of 2023, we’re excited to offer six weeklong sessions this year, beginning in June.
| Session # | Date | Registration Closes |
| Session 1 | June 3-June 7 | 11:59 p.m. on June 3, 2024 |
| Session 2 | June 10-June 14 | 11:59 p.m. on June 10, 2024 |
| Session 3 | June 24-June 28 | 11:59 p.m. on June 24, 2024 |
| Session 4 | July 8-July 12 | 11:59 p.m. on July 8, 2024 |
| Session 5 | July 15-July 19 | 11:59 p.m. on July 15, 2024 |
| Session 6 | July 22-July 26 | 11:59 p.m. on July 22, 2024 |
Our camps are offered to 8-15 year-olds and give campers the opportunity to engage in a variety of gaming and esports activities. We will explore topics like communication and teamwork, physical education and wellness, live streaming principles, and career opportunities both as a professional player and out of playing. Campers will also have the opportunity to receive coaching from our varsity coaches. The campers will use the skills they learn throughout the first four days to put on their own live esports tournament and broadcast. More information on camps and registration links can be found online. Now, on to some reader-submitted questions.
Matt from Madison, Wisconsin
What are the keys to building a programmatic culture to bring the best out from your players?
Culture building is an important part of creating a successful and sustainable program. It’s also one of the most difficult. Even though our program is turning four years old soon, we’re still actively developing what it means to be a part of Redbird Esports. It can be challenging to find the perfect blend of expectations between students and staff that appeals to both audiences. Our ultimate goal is to set up our players to have the best chance of success once their time at Illinois State ends. We aim to give them the best competitive experience and opportunities for growth as possible, while helping them understand the value of their educational experience and the opportunities available outside of being a player in the professional league. For students less focused on competition, we work with departments across campus in order to provide unique learning opportunities using aspects of esports and gaming that fit into their individual chosen majors. The great thing about esports and gaming is that they can cross into just about any major or career field. Something many collegiate esports programs lack is true structure. That is one thing we’ve been actively working toward doing here at Illinois State, and while we’ve come a long way in changing the ways most competitive esports players think, we’ve still got a long way to go!
Additional frequently asked questions:
How can I keep up with varsity team results?
We have several ways to stay plugged into what’s going on with our varsity teams, but the easiest way is to follow us on your social media platform of choice. If you want to dive deeper into what we’re doing outside of competition, we’ve created multiple new initiatives including list servs and monthly articles (much like this one). Please follow us across our various social media channels.
Can I bring my own peripherals to the esports arena?
The short answer is yes, especially if you have equipment you already feel comfortable with. However, we do provide everything a student would need to just sit down and game. We provide high end steel series keyboards, mice, and headset in addition to Xbox and PlayStation controllers that can be used on our consoles or the PCs. While we also provide access to the most recent generation of consoles, we have special adapters at each console station that allow legacy consoles to be plugged in and used. Anything from an Atari to the lesser-known Sega Dreamcast, if you’ve got it and want to play it, you can!
Do you have VR gaming available?
Yes, VR gaming was added this spring semester. While our library isn’t quite as extensive as our PC game library, we do have some of the most popular VR titles students can play on our Meta Quest 2 headsets. Our current library includes Half Life Alyx, Beat Saber, and Superhot VR. If you have your own games on Steam VR or the Meta Quest store, you’re welcome to play those as well. VR is a great way to introduce some physical activity into your gaming sessions!
Can I host my birthday party in the esports arena?
We have a variety of packages available if you’re interested in hosting a birthday party at the Bowling and Billiards Center. If you’re interested in something you don’t see here, please don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email!
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