WACO, Texas (KXXV) — "I'm a Waco guy and so being home to do the thing I love is ultimately, you know, that's a dream scenario for me," Baylor esports Director Adam Stanley said.
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Baylor announced the hiring of Adam Stanley as the University's first esports Director and coach. The Bears take this step, looking to expand their esports club.
"When Baylor introduced this idea, it was, hey, we recognize the value of this, let's amp it up a bit. Esports has existed on our campus at the club level for about a decade, and it's thriving," Stanley said.
Part of his responsibilities include student recruitment — looking to get not only aspiring student athletes, but also casual gamers, to grow in the community.
"One of the goals is to create as many possibilities for students to flourish that could be at the competitive level, it could be at the club level, or it could be at the casual level," Stanley said.
"There are all sorts of possibilities with research, not a lot of academics-minded folks have put a lot of time and energy into the world of esports, and I've already received messages from professors, and imaginations are going wild on connectivity with the world of esports," he said.
Baylor has been hosting tournaments, and Stanley wants to show how people can benefit from esports.
"Research shows that anywhere from 85 to 88 percent of adolescents are gaming in some form or fashion, so we have a responsibility as adults to put structure and guidance and to allow this to thrive," Stanley said. "I speak with somebody I feel like daily who says, oh, esports, I wish I had had that when I was their age, and I think that speaks to the power of what's happening here. So yeah, I think there's so many reasons for Baylor to be excited about this."
If you want to get a closer look, Baylor will be hosting the Texas Scholastic Esports Federation’s Undisputed State Championships on May 1 at the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center.
