Ferris State has around 20 athletic clubs that students across campus participate in. Club sports provide students with the opportunity to participate in a range of competitive and social activities. Each club at Ferris is student-led, and depending on the club, allows students to travel to compete in various tournaments or leagues. Graphic by: Hailey […]
Ferris State has around 20 athletic clubs that students across campus participate in.
Club sports provide students with the opportunity to participate in a range of competitive and social activities. Each club at Ferris is student-led, and depending on the club, allows students to travel to compete in various tournaments or leagues.
Graphic by: Hailey Nye| Production Assistant
In addition to being socially and competitively beneficial, clubs offer students skill development and are flexible despite needing commitment.
Engineering sophomore Jarel Juarez-Elizalde is in the tennis club and has been playing tennis long before he played in college.
“Anybody who thinks that they want to compete, there is a day where they can go, we all play against each other and the e-board will pick the best members, and then those are the people that will travel around and play in tournaments,” Juarez-Elizalde said.
Juarez-Elizalde explained that the club sport has a competitive aspect that students can try out at the beginning of the year. Those in the competitive team are the ones who will play against other schools and attend tennis tournaments, while those not a part of the club only compete against one another.
Students may try out for the competitive aspect or the more easygoing club version.
“I really enjoy it. I get to show up there, I get to do a ton of cardio and make a ton of new friends,” Juarez-Elizalde said. “The socialization aspect is really big for me. The competitive aspect, you know, is fun when you practice and you play against people that are much better than yourself.”
The tennis club not only gives Juarez-Elizalde a chance to socialize with other college students but also time to get better at the sport without giving up most of his free time. While there are no coaches on the team, the physical trainer and other members help one another get better and learn new skills.
While those on the competitive team get the chance to get better and learn new skills, not only from the club but also by competing in tournaments. Clubs, like esports, are similar to tennis in how the club is set up and why people attend it.
Architecture freshman Eli Mayo, who is in the esports club, recognizes that the club is generally more friendly and less competitive.
“There’s a club, and there is esports. So esports is like the varsity lineup,” May said. “They compete with other schools, go to physical events, get scholarships, and all that sort of stuff, whereas the club is somewhat intertwined, like the people from the sports team go to the club meetings.”
Esports has a competitive or varsity aspect to it too, Mayo explained. There is a competitive team that travels to other schools and participates in tournaments, and then there is the club that competes against one another.
“I had been playing casually for quite some time with my high school team. Once I got here, I heard there were tournaments here, and I was really interested in that. The place that I lived back home didn’t have any tournaments.” Mayo said. “Coming here, it was cool to have some place that you can go every week and talk with people.”
Mayo explained that the high school he previously attended, while it had an esports team, the team did not have any tournaments.
Upon attending Ferris, Mayo learned about the esports team and there would be tournaments to participate in. This gave him a chance to socialize and meet new people at the school as well, which he enjoyed.
“I enjoy the variety of people that we get there, there are a lot of people there, who I don’t think I would know if not for the club aspect,” Mayo said.
Being a member of the esports club has given Mayo the chance to meet and become friends with people that he otherwise probably would not have known without the club.
Being in a club can benefit students not only by building their skills but also by being highly rewarding socially, as many club members seemingly hang out with one another outside of the club and even host functions together.
Sports club students agree that, for the most part, while sports clubs are competitive they are also very laid back and a good opportunity to socialize.
Riley Habrtmehl, a junior graphic media management major who is a part of the softball club described how there is no prize in the end and everyone is playing for the love of the game.
“It’s a lot more laid back, a lot more chill. A lot of people are there just to have fun,” Habrtmehl said. “Obviously, there are referees and all that, and you’re keeping score, but not really worrying about it. If you’re looking for something active to do, almost like a hobby or looking to kind of get out and meet new people, it’s really fun.”
Those who partake in club sports at Ferris get to experience a close-knit community that shares the same enjoyment in the sport they are a part of.
Clubs offer them not only a place to compete but also an area to make friends and socialize with people who care about the same things as they do and challenge one another to improve.
OnePlus enters Indian esports, partners with Gods Reign, K9 & Cincinnati Kids
New Delhi: OnePlus has announced its formal entry into Indian esports through partnerships with three competitive gaming teams, Gods Reign, K9, and Cincinnati Kids. The move is part of the company’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the gaming ecosystem and gather product insights from high-performance gaming environments. The collaboration includes close integration with esports […]
New Delhi: OnePlus has announced its formal entry into Indian esports through partnerships with three competitive gaming teams, Gods Reign, K9, and Cincinnati Kids. The move is part of the company’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the gaming ecosystem and gather product insights from high-performance gaming environments.
The collaboration includes close integration with esports athletes, who will provide real-time feedback on existing and upcoming OnePlus devices. The initiative is aimed at aligning product development with the requirements of mobile gamers, particularly in areas such as frame rate consistency, thermal management, and sustained power delivery.
As part of the agreement, the teams will now compete under co-branded identities—OnePlus Gods Reign, OnePlus K9, and OnePlus Cincinnati Kids—highlighting a deeper level of brand association.
“At OnePlus, our community has always been at the core of everything we do. Over the years, we’ve listened closely to our gaming community and understood their need for speed, performance, and reliability. This collaboration reinforces our dedication to the gaming community and marks an exciting step in empowering the next generation of mobile esports athletes,” said Marcel Campos, Director of Product Strategy at OnePlus.
The partnership also marked the backdrop to the company’s latest product line, the OnePlus 13 Series, which includes devices equipped with Snapdragon 8 Elite and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipsets.
OnePlus Steps into Esports: Partners with Gods Reign, K9, and Cincinnati Kids to Power India’s Gaming Future
Bengaluru,16 May 2025: OnePlus, the global technology brand known for delivering fast and smooth smartphone experiences, is officially entering the world of Indian esports. The brand today announced its partnership with three top-tier esports teams—Gods Reign, K9, and Cincinnati Kids—reinforcing its commitment to building a gaming-first ecosystem. The partnership extends to deep product integration, with […]
Bengaluru,16 May 2025: OnePlus, the global technology brand known for delivering fast and smooth smartphone experiences, is officially entering the world of Indian esports. The brand today announced its partnership with three top-tier esports teams—Gods Reign, K9, and Cincinnati Kids—reinforcing its commitment to building a gaming-first ecosystem.
The partnership extends to deep product integration, with players providing real-time feedback shaping current and future OnePlus devices. The collaboration aims to bring authentic, on-ground insights into its product development process, ensuring that each device is tested and refined in the most demanding mobile gaming environments.
Through this collaboration, OnePlus reaffirms its commitment to delivering industry-leading performance, particularly in gaming scenarios where frame rates, thermal efficiency, and sustained power matter most. The partnership is not just about creating a presence in esports, it’s about actively contributing to its future by aligning product strategy with the expectations of gamers and the community that supports them.
As part of the partnership, K9 and Cincinnati Kids will now compete as OnePlus Gods Reign, OnePlus K9 and OnePlus Cincinnati Kids — a move that reflects deeper integration and shared focus on delivering smooth, high-performance gaming experiences to a wider community.
“At OnePlus, our community has always been at the core of everything we do. Over the years, we’ve listened closely to our gaming community and understood their need for speed, performance, and reliability. This collaboration reinforces our dedication to the gaming community and marks an exciting step in empowering the next generation of mobile esports athletes,” said Marcel Campos, Director of Product Strategy at OnePlus.
Gaming with Power — The OnePlus 13 Series
The OnePlus 13 Series is engineered to elevate the mobile gaming experience to new heights. Equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite in the OnePlus 13 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the OnePlus 13R, both devices deliver exceptional performance and high-speed graphics rendering, ensuring a consistently smooth and responsive gameplay experience.
To support extended gaming sessions, the series features a Dual Cryo-Velocity Vapor Cooling System, effectively managing heat and preventing thermal throttling. Whether users are engaged in fast-paced multiplayer battles or exploring graphically demanding open-world environments, the OnePlus 13 Series maintains optimal performance frame after frame.
Backed by a powerful 6,000mAh battery and 100W SUPERVOOC fast charging, the OnePlus 13 Series enables longer playtimes with minimal downtime. With its combination of raw power, efficient thermal management, and sustained frame stability, the OnePlus 13 Series is purpose-built for gamers who demand peak performance.
Meet the Team:
OnePlus Gods Reign
A Bangalore-based esports powerhouse, Gods Reign is home to some of India’s most celebrated BGMI athletes. Known for their precision, strategy, and unmatched synergy, they’ve claimed titles at BGIS and BGMS and were runners-up at BMPS — with their 2023 win at BGIS still legendary. In 2025 they won the ESL Snapdragon Pro Series with new roster additions and a sharper mindset.
OnePlus K9
Born out of grassroots talent and driven by discipline, K9 is one of India’s fastest-rising BGMI teams. From dominating community tournaments to securing podium finishes at ESL BGMI Snapdragon Pro Series, Red Bull MEO, and BGIS, K9 is proof that strategy and teamwork win championships. Now competing as OnePlus K9, the team is ready to chase global glory.
OnePlus Cincinnati Kids
From overlooked to unstoppable — the Cincinnati Kids are the ultimate underdog story. With no sponsors and minimal spotlight, they kept grinding in unofficial tournaments. It all changed at BGIS 2025, where they shocked fans and rivals alike by finishing 7th in the Grand Finals. Now rebranded as OnePlus Cincinnati Kids, their story is a tribute to grit, passion, and pure love for the game.
OnePlus steps into Esports, partners with leading BGMI teams to power India’s gaming future
Today, OnePlus entered the Indian esports space, announcing a strategic partnership with three competitive gaming teams: Gods Reign, K9, and Cincinnati Kids. The move marks a significant step in the company’s commitment to building a ‘gaming-first ecosystem’ that combines product innovation with grassroots-level engagement in India’s booming mobile gaming sector. Unlike traditional sponsorships, OnePlus aims […]
Today, OnePlus entered the Indian esports space, announcing a strategic partnership with three competitive gaming teams: Gods Reign, K9, and Cincinnati Kids. The move marks a significant step in the company’s commitment to building a ‘gaming-first ecosystem’ that combines product innovation with grassroots-level engagement in India’s booming mobile gaming sector.
Unlike traditional sponsorships, OnePlus aims to integrate directly with the esports ecosystem, using insights from professional players to guide product development.
Players from each partnered team will provide real-time feedback on device performance during gameplay.
Feedback will be used to optimize critical gaming metrics, including frame rates, power efficiency, thermal management, and input latency.
OnePlus says the focus is on building devices that perform under real tournament conditions, aligning both hardware and software with gamers’ needs.
The brand emphasized that this isn’t just a promotional exercise – it’s a long-term commitment to improving the mobile gaming experience in India through active collaboration with the esports community.
The three teams will now compete under the OnePlus banner:
OnePlus Gods Reign: Based in Bengaluru, this elite BGMI team has claimed top positions at BGIS and BGMS, and was runner-up at BMPS. In 2025, they clinched the ESL Snapdragon Pro Series title after a roster revamp.
OnePlus K9: Known for rising through grassroots competitions, K9 has participated in tournaments like ESL BGMI Snapdragon Pro Series, Red Bull MEO, and BGIS. Their consistent performance has led to the new identity, OnePlus K9.
OnePlus Cincinnati Kids: This team began their journey without sponsors and rose through the ranks, finishing 7th at the BGIS 2025 Grand Finals. Their underdog-to-contender transformation has earned them a strategic tie-up and rebrand as OnePlus Cincinnati Kids.
Speaking about the partnership, Marcel Campos, Director of Product Strategy at OnePlus, said, “Our community has always been central to our work. Over time, we have carefully listened to the gaming community’s demands for speed, performance, and reliability. This collaboration strengthens our commitment to gamers and represents an important step in supporting the future of mobile esports athletes.”
Alongside the partnership announcement, OnePlus showcased its gaming-optimized flagship lineup, the OnePlus 13 Series, which the company says is “built with mobile gamers in mind.”
The OnePlus 13 packs the Snapdragon 8 Elite platform for flagship performance, while the OnePlus 13R runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. Both phones offer advanced GPU performance and sustained frame rates alongside their Dual Cryo-Velocity Vapor Cooling System to manage heat under heavy loads. There’s a massive 6,000 mAh battery with 100W SUPERVOOC fast charging for extended gaming sessions with minimal downtime
OnePlus believes this three-pronged strategy – hardware innovation, grassroots partnerships, and pro-level feedback – will redefine mobile gaming in India. By aligning its product roadmap with the pulse of the esports community, OnePlus is positioning itself as a long-term player in India’s rapidly evolving gaming ecosystem.
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South Fayette Unified Esports Team wins regional title
1 / 3 Celebrating their championship are Team Green members, from left, Miguel Persichetti, Nathan Lyons, Cameron Diehl and Cole Chichester. Courtesy of the South Fayette School District 2 / 3 South Fayette High School’s Team Green […]
South Fayette Unified Esports Team wins regional title
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Celebrating their championship are Team Green members, from left, Miguel Persichetti, Nathan Lyons, Cameron Diehl and Cole Chichester.
Courtesy of the South Fayette School District
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South Fayette High School’s Team Green won the Eastern United States Region Unified Esports championship. Team members are, from left, Miguel Persichetti, Nathan Lyons, Cole Chichester and Cameron Diehl.
Courtesy of the South Fayette School District
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Members of South Fayette High School’s two esports teams
Courtesy of the South Fayette School District
South Fayette High School has become known for its championship teams with multiple WPIAL titles in football and girls basketball, along with a state boys basketball title in 2010 and a state girls basketball championship this year.
Add another championship to the list – unified esports, whose team members composed of both neurotypical and neurodiverse students (those with special needs) compete using video games.
The new Unified Esports Team Green – made up of Miguel Persechetti, Nathan Snyder, Cole Chichester and Cameron Diehl – recently won the championship of the Eastern United States Region, only the second region in the nation to offer unified esports. Team Green amassed a 7-1 record in Mario Kart before moving on to the postseason to capture the championship by a narrow 2-1 victory.
“That’s the idea of unified – bringing those kids together to be able to work together on these teams,” said Dr. Kevin Maurer, esports program director. “That’s the best part. Seeing the mentorship and peer connection that’s happening that otherwise wouldn’t. Students dealing with any type of disability, we check it at the door and those students are just able to be players of the game just like anyone else. We are so proud of the team. They were one team of 37 unified Mario Kart teams across the Eastern United States Region competing in the Special Olympics League.”
South Fayette is in a league that is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania and includes students from Freeport, Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh Public Schools and Beaver. Funding through a Moonshot Grant from the Grable Foundation was integral in starting the program. Moonshot Grants typically fund research or innovation designed to tackle ambitious and potentially transformative goals.
The team competes in a state-of-the-art esports arena at the high school. Students are involved in the promotion, live-streaming and announcing aspects of the sports. There also is an arena in the middle school.
“In addition to our high school teams and our middle school teams participating in the PIEA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association), we added a Unified Esports team,” Maurer said. “We are the first teams in Pennsylvania to be competing through the Special Olympics in Unified Sports.”
South Fayette High School has two esports teams. Team White is composed of Cole Froelich, Pranav Mantraratnam, Milan Gupta, JR Wolski and Shivanshu De.
Esports is the third unified sport in the district, along with bocce and robotics.
“What’s wonderful about this whole season was that you had students who may never have crossed paths working together on a team,” Maurer said. “Watching the nurturing of the students, who are mentoring each other, the teamwork that goes into it, the sportsmanship, all of those things you see in traditional sports, we observe through this kind of future focus sport.”
Stacey Barth, one of the coaches, spoke with pride about the team’s accomplishments.
“They did such a great job this year, being the first year that we participated in this,” she said. “They really came together as a team. They got along and worked so well together.”
Snyder, a junior, wasn’t even aware of the team when asked by Persechetti to participate.
“I had no real expectations going into this,” he said. “I thought it was something fun to be doing after school and I would meet some new people. We just kept winning. I think we improved over time. … It’s a really rewarding feeling to actually be good at something.”
He’s also benefited from being part of the team.
“Connections, that’s the whole thing,” Snyder said. “I already played a lot of video games as a kid and I feel like I was able to use some of that to make some new friendships. I’ve always been kind of shy in making connections. Getting thrown into esports, it was kind of awkward. But I feel like I was able to work on communication a lot. I just got to talk to more people, and I feel like that was one of the most rewarding things esports gave to me.”
Persechetti, 18, agreed.
“I definitely learned to talk with people better and how to communicate with a team,” said the senior. “I also learned how to strategize in order to play better.”
Persechetti took on the role of team leader, making sure teammates were calm in stressful situations and were in the right mindset for the competition.
“He made sure that he was always keeping the rest of the team upbeat, even if they were getting a little down sometimes,” Barth said. “He always got them back on track.”
Persichetti enjoyed the experience and winning a championship.
“Being able to win was pretty gratifying since we were unsure we were going to win while we were playing. It was pretty close,” Persechetti said.
Esports have grown in popularity collegiately, transforming from niche campus clubs into a significant component of college athletics. Scholarships are available at some colleges for esports participants. Class of 2024 seniors Lincoln George and Luke MacIntosh were the first South Fayette players to receive collegiate esports offers and scholarships. Macintosh is now a member of the Robert Morris University esports team.
“In the future we’re looking forward to having even more teams,” Maurer said. “We’re excited to have some all girl teams as well. It matches up with our district vision. We want to look at future focus programs, student-centered and inclusive. This checks a lot of those boxes for us. Our students are gaming and we’re meeting them where they are.”
United’s A.J. Hixson to compete on St. Francis’ esports team | Sports
ARMAGH, Pa. – United High School senior A.J. Hixson recently took a major step toward his ultimate goal when he committed to join the esports team at St. Francis University. Hixson will major in computer science and minor in cybersecurity. ×
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ARMAGH, Pa. – United High School senior A.J. Hixson recently took a major step toward his ultimate goal when he committed to join the esports team at St. Francis University.
Hixson will major in computer science and minor in cybersecurity.
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By Laura Lombardi The Wellington High School Crusader Overwatch Esports team made an impressive showing at the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF) High School National Championship… Previous Post Library to Host “Married To Adventure” Next Post A Time to Celebrate, A Time to Care Link 0
By Laura Lombardi The Wellington High School Crusader Overwatch Esports team made an impressive showing at the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF) High School National Championship…
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