Cornell junior gains leadership, friendships as esports captain

Cornell College junior Camden Bergquist is always ready for a battle–a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate battle, that is.

Camden, a computer science and data science double major from Minnesota, has been playing Smash with Cornell’s esports program since he arrived as a first-year student, and now he’s the captain of the team. That means he’s often offering advice to members during practices and after competitions to improve their gameplay. 

“As a captain, I focus on leadership, organization, and communication,” he said. “Communication is very important for me to make sure I know what’s going on with all of my players.”

He also spends much of his free time traveling with his teammates to tournaments in Iowa to compete. His dedication was recognized when he was recently named first-team all-conference for the Midwest Esports Conference. 

“It’s hard to tell if Camden is a better player or a better captain, he both plays and leads at such a high level,” said Head Esports Coach Jack VonKampen. “Camden is one of the main reasons the Smash team is so strong, and the team will continue to improve under his leadership.” 

Camden says he enjoys Smash because whatever happens in the game is completely up to the person playing. It’s a competitive fighting game where members of the team individually take control of characters on a stage and have three lives to knock their opponent off the stage. 

“You can’t blame what happened in a match on another person because no one else is there playing with you and trying to help you,” Camden said. “It’s you and your opponent. So the ability to self-reflect, understand there are failings, and that you can do something differently going forward is the most valuable skill that competing in Smash has taught me so far.” 

Camden spends a lot of time with his team but says he can’t think of one particular memory that’s his favorite.

“I think I value more the constant good that the program has given me rather than significant highs and lows. Like, the ability to play the game I enjoy on campus, socialize with people that think alike, and inhabit an environment that feels almost tailor-made to you.”

He has made some great friends in the program, and now his younger brother, Grant, has enrolled at Cornell and is playing Overwatch and League of Legends. He knows he’s not alone in recognizing the value that comes from esports at Cornell and hopes anyone interested in esports gives it a try.

“The esports program is immensely valuable for students both as a recruitment effort and keeping students happy,” Camden said.

If you’re interested in learning more about Cornell’s esports program, the coach is always looking for new talent for the team.