NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., June 30, 2020 – The Monroe College Mustangs Department of Athletics is excited to announce the addition of esports to the Mustangs athletic program, effective for the 2020-21 academic year. The program will be coordinated by Govinda Raghubar, owner and proprietor of Encore Esports in New Rochelle, and will offer numerous gaming titles for Esports student-athletes to compete in.
 
"Our primary focus is to create a thriving environment where we can empower our students to achieve their goals," said Raghubar. "Our Esport athletes will be competing in collegiate tournaments regularly, and will be provided with coaching and support staff to properly prepare them for such competitions."
 
Encore Esports will serve as the home facility for the Monroe Mustangs esports program. Encore Esports is Westchester County's first gaming tournament and event center located just four blocks up Main St. in New Rochelle from the Monroe Athletic Complex. With Encore Esports as the home facility for Mustangs esports, it provides Monroe with a professional esports environment for training, practices and competition, complete with all of the necessary equipment to give the Mustangs a leg up on the competition.
 
Some titles that the Monroe College esports program will sponsor include Overwatch, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and League of Legends, with additional options available based on interest and the growth of the program. Practice schedules will look similar to that of a traditional student-athlete, including mandated physical activity. There will be many opportunities for esports athletes to earn additional scholarships based on competition performance.
 
"Within esports there are a great many career paths available to those interested," said Raghubar. "Whether skills developed turn into a career in marketing, computer science, content creation or professional esports competition, we are here to properly prepare our graduates to be top candidates with relevant work experience and industry expertise."
 
In addition to roster positions for esports athletes, the Monroe College esports program will also include positions for support staff, occupied by students, to acquire important skills in this booming industry outside of competition. Monroe esports will be an avenue for students to learn and hone their skills in a number of fields surrounding esports competition.
 
If you are interested in the Monroe College esports program, please fill out the Esports Recruit Form.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 36 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, and the newly added esports program, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 17 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).