Four-year Starter, Kole Johnson, Reflects on His Growth in Esports

When Kole “Kolerocks” Johnson first started playing Rocket League almost six years ago, he never imagined himself where he is today. The captain of Valpo Esports’ Rocket League team only played the game once in a while at first.

“I’ve been playing for fun for five or six years,” Johnson said. “At first I didn’t think much of it. I kind of thought it was a silly game. As I played more and more, I really began to like the team aspects and take it more seriously.”

Prior to his freshman year, Johnson talked with Tristan Leonhard, the now Director of Esports, about his vision for the start-up esports teams. Like any new program, Valpo Esports started off small and had a fair share of road bumps.

“We started with just eight computers which is less than half of the space we have now,” Johnson said. “Esports was new and kind of unorganized, but all things considered the first year was a fun experience.”

Now, in the fourth year of Valpo Esports, Johnson is the only four-year starter and captain in the history of the program. Throughout his career he’s seen the team, program, and his individual prowess all grow tremendously. 

“More than anything, playing as a team has gotten better,” he said. “Practices are serious and we do a lot more training and focusing on how to communicate clearly and quickly. We’re able to read each and get the mesh that a good team needs.”

The increase of support and recognition for the entire program is also important to Kole. Although esports’ unique nature leaves it outside of the purview of athletics, developments are making it more legitimate.

This fall, esports teams moved into a new, more spacious lab space in the basement of the Harre Union. Included in the upgrade are more computers, coaches offices, study rooms, and competition rooms. Several assistants and analysts also joined the staff.

“The structure as a whole feels like we have a lot more support and are more recognized by the university,” Johnson said. “The new space and new equipment really emphasizes that we matter.”

In the Spring, Johnson will graduate with a degree in meteorology and a minor in computer science. Outside of esports, he enjoyed all of the resources the meteorology program had to offer and its close, personable size. After graduation, he is searching for opportunities to take his degrees into the field.

Next year, the team won’t feel the same without the ever-present Kolerocks, but he feels like he helped build something special.

“Just like any other sport, we are representing Valpo. We’ve gotten the program to a place where we can represent it and be proud of it. It means a lot to be able to play,” Johnson said. “Over four years, I think I’ve helped a lot of people get acquainted to college life and combine it with their passion for Rocket League.”

Story by: Michael Trevithick