February 01, 2019

I remember, years ago, sitting in the back of an “Ethics in Computing” class, quietly browsing Reddit, when the After Hours Gaming League found out that it would be donating its prize pool to Charity:Water. This was less a surprise to me than to my professor, who didn’t understand why it was important that I moderate a Twitch chat during his lecture. The money we raised would fund the construction of a well in Nepal to provide drinking water to a village that previously had none, all because a bunch of nerds needed a sixteen week tournament to figure out which company was the best at League of Legends.

I still have the picture of that well. It was a pivotal moment in my life. It was the day I saw firsthand what good could come from well-directed fun. Since then, the idea of corporate esports has been as integral to my identity as anything else that I do. In the past several years, I’ve seen hundreds of people form friendships, take new jobs, move in together, and grow closer as a result of the tournaments our teams have helped to run. It is breathtaking to think about the impact my little organizations have had on people’s lives.

I’ve grown up a lot since then, and esports has, too. What was previously an embarrassing hobby has become an industry whose size rivals some major physical sports. And we’re going to use it to make the world a better place.

Welcome to the Corporate Esports Association.

For some of you, this is your first time. Others have been involved with corporate esports longer than I have. For you vets, welcome back. We’re glad to have you, and please make sure to ping me on Discord if you see something off. We’re on our maiden voyage, and things are bound to turn up that we didn’t expect.

If you’re new, I envy you. You only get to have one first season. A few words from experience –

• Practice as a team. It’s better than hitting the “find match” button alone. Every game is engineered to make sure team play pays off.
• Learn to operate under pressure. The moment the game starts, it’s all on you, and that can be tough. Use this to your advantage.
• Embody leadership. Win or lose, your teammates will still be your co-workers come Monday morning. The way you handle their successes and failures will translate back to the real world.

On behalf of the entire CEA team, thank you for joining us in our inaugural season. We’re excited to have you along for the ride.

GLHF,

Brad Tenenholtz

Founder, Corporate Esports Association