VYPE: How long have you been in eSports at Carl Albert?
Conner Watkins: I have been in esports since it started. This was around my sophomore year, about three years ago.
VYPE: What first got you interested in it?
CW: My love for video games. I have enjoyed playing video games since I was a kid, and I thought this would be a great way to connect with people.
VYPE: Do you have a favorite memory in your time competing for your high school?
CW: Last year, during my junior year, a few classmates and I were taken to compete in Mario Kart 8 tournaments. We never won any of the tournaments, sadly, but I thoroughly enjoyed playing with my teammates. We even got to tour OCCC’s campus.
VYPE: What is something that most people don’t know about eSports?
CW: Most people think esports is just playing video games in school, which isn’t wrong, but it’s more than that. In esports, we cooperate as a team while playing different games. We strategize, learn, and practice just like people do in other sports.
VYPE: Do you have teammates? If so, how is that compared to physical sports?
CW: Yes, I do have teammates. It’s just like being on a football, baseball, or soccer team—you play together, practice together, and go through the whole season with them. The only difference is that esports is played on screens, while other sports are played on fields.
VYPE: Are you involved in any other sports, activities, hobbies, etc.?
CW: I enjoy playing story-based games in my free time. Playing competitively is fun, but it can get really stressful. Story-based games remind me that video games are meant to be fun and enjoyed for a few hours after a long, productive day.
VYPE: Who do you look to as a role model and why?
CW: There have been so many people I have looked up to in my life, but the one I have known the longest—the one who has been there for me at my lowest, helped me no matter what, and saved my life—is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
VYPE: What is your favorite subject in school?
CW: I love art class. It brings out freedom and creativity in all of us in our own ways. In art, there is no single right answer—nothing is right or wrong. The only thing that matters is if you love what you created and what you expressed through your art.
VYPE: What are your plans after high school?
CW: I am going to Rose State College to get a degree in computer science, engineering, or business.
