VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: How a Houston freshman’s childhood pastime became the ultimate esports success story
Henry Zhang: It’s a story that started long before success, a story that began with a simple father-son bond over a video game. For Houston freshman Matt Russell, the nights playing rocket league with his dad soon transformed into passion.
Matt Russell: I mean he’s the one that bought the game for me in the first place. He’s the person I played with growing up.You know some of my fondest memories playing the game at a young age were with him, just fist bumping him whenever we scored a goal. But he was the biggest person that got me into playing Rocket League and pursuing it. He’s the one that supported throughout my whole journey of getting better and eventually becoming a collegiate athlete.
Zhang: By the time Matt became a senior in high school… he had become the program’s first-ever esports recruit. Many collegiate programs including Syracuse offered him a place on their esports team…but for Matt, it wasn’t just about joining any elite program, it was about finding a place that he can grow as a person.
Russell: It was the number one school that offered me academically along with the production and just the whole environment that the esports has to offer here. It’s the best program in the country and so being offered by a school like this with incredible academics and having the number one esports program in the country not only academically, but the whole production, but the spaces they offer, the opportunities they give me, I mean, it was a blessing. It was the number one option I could have ever asked for. It was a dream.
Zhang: And that decision to come to Syracuse has paid off..in just a matter of weeks, the Rocket League team skyrocketed the collegiate rankings from a borderline top 30 team and into the top 15, for Matt he is approaching this as a learning process both as a teammate and as a person.
Russell: I think we’re approaching everything as a learning standpoint. I mean, even all the staff here didn’t expect us to do what we are doing now. And, I mean this is like the first year is just truly a learning standpoint. As long as we can grow as people, grow as teammates and just grow as players, it doesn’t mean the wins they’ll come eventually. I mean we’ve already proven that the work we are putting in it has paid off. I mean no one expected us to do this and I think really showing people that we are passionate about what we do and we really do care.
Zhang: From the childhood games with his dad to competing on the collegiate stage, Matt hopes that others who aspire to follow in a similar footstep can take his message and create their own legacy.
Russell: I would say focus on quality over quantity because if you just focus on quantity you’re going to take up more time and it’s not going to be as useful. If you can focus on having that quality time of when you do practice and what you do want to work on, you’re going to have loads more time for yourself and other things you want to enjoy as well. You’re going to improve faster and faster.
Zhang: Reporting from Schine Student Center, this is Henry Zhang. NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – It’s a story that began over a simple father-son bond over video games. For freshman Matt Russell from Houston, Texas, the nights of friendly competition against his father in Rocket League laid the foundation for his eventual success into collegiate esports.
“He’s the one that bought the game,” Russell says. “Some of my best memories was with him”
By the time Russell had reached his senior year in high school, the passion translated into serious talent. He became his alma mater’s first ever esports recruit, with elite national esports programs including Syracuse looking to sign him onto their Rocket League roster.
For Russell, he explains that choosing a university wasn’t all about the play but also about the support system and opportunity that enables him to develop socially and personally.
“It was the number one school that offered me academically along with the production that esports has to offer here,” Russell added. “It was a dream come true.”
That dream he was talking about? It already paid dividend because in just a matter of weeks, the Syracuse Rocket League team skyrocketed from a borderline top 30 team to top 15 nationally. A rise that caught the entire program off guard.
“I mean even all the staff didn’t expect us to do what we are doing now,” Russell said. “I think were approaching everything as a learning standpoint.”
Russell also kept it brief but powerful when asked about the advice he’d give to those following a similar footstep.
“Focus on quality over quantity,” he said. “If you just focus on quantity you’re going to take up more time and it’s not going to be as useful.”
His journey is one that inspires all esports gamers and people alike. Showing how even our favorite pastimes can turn into success stories. But the value of perseverance and dedication is what ultimately set him up for greatness.