SilverDipper, Saurus, Smithsonian and more players sporting their esports pseudonyms gather around a table with a bright pink cake. For The Stars, Stephens College’s all-women and nonbinary collegiate esports team, a bond over the video game Overwatch has made a family. On this day, the team came together to support player Sunnie Greenlees’ retirement from the team with a cake of their favorite color and some light-hearted teasing.
Although it’s their off-season, the historic esports team still meets every day to play Pictionary, casual rounds of Overwatch (the six versus six, first-person-shooter game The Stars play in collegiate tournaments) and support each other. Besides being the first of its kind, they are different from any other athletic team at Stephens. This community is set on demanding respect and changing the game of a male-dominated sport.
A data report by The Associated Press states that 90% of collegiate roster spots are held by male players and 89% of scholarship funds go to them, but those numbers have never intimidated The Stars. From their historic start in 2017 and initial coverage by ESPN, the team has placed their passion and competitive drive over any fears of breaking out of the traditional mold. Each member of The Stars was drawn to the team for the same reason: community and a computer-filled practice room.
Senior player Shelby Thompson, also known as SilverDipper, remarks that hearing about The Stars ensured they wanted to come to Stephens College.
“When I got here [the program was] one or two years old,” Thompson recalled as the team circled around them. “I knew that Stephens was going to be a big name one day.”
Thompson, who identifies as nonbinary, is incredibly thankful for a healthy space filled with players like themself to play their favorite game without discrimination. Their previous gaming experiences with what the team calls “toxic men” shaped the universal experience for nearly every player for The Stars.
“My very first [Overwatch] game, I got on voice chat to talk to people, and they got very angry. Their first words to me were ‘Is that a girl? I guess we’re losing,’” Thompson said. “And then one of the people left.”
The Stars know what it’s like to be non-men in gaming and have created a bond because of it. As a family first, their goal is always to have fun and support each other.
“It’s nice being here because these people aren’t going to harass you or hit on you,” Thompson said.
Head Coach Adrienne McIntire never considered the immense lack of female and nonbinary inclusion in esports until she was offered the opportunity to coach Stephens’ team. In her first coaching position, McIntire brought her years of gaming experience and expertise from her mom’s basement to the competitive collegiate field.
“It honestly wasn’t something that I thought about when I was working with other schools; I was one of the guys and that was that,” McIntire said. “When I joined Stephens, it really showed how empty the spaces are as far as diversity goes.
On the other hand, assistant coach Gisselle Benitez always found herself reaching for the controller, but because of typical gender norms, she had to in secret. After showing her family that non-men deserve a place in esports, Benitez watches her younger female cousin play games without any concern.
“I was raised in a traditional Mexican household where the man was idealized and the woman had to take care of the household stuff,” Benitez said. “So a lot of my gaming history was just sneaking hours on my brother’s PlayStation, always making sure no one was watching so I [could] play… [and] that I wouldn’t get in trouble.”
The team also aims to serve as an extended hand to local non-male identifying players, inviting middle and high schoolers into their space to show that there are people like them out there.
“We have girls that are the only girl in the entire program of their high school, but they’re team captains or they’re helping with coaching,” McIntire said. “There’s a lot of initiative that the younger girls are having, I think they just need to see that there’s actually an opportunity for them to grow past high school.”
Since the team’s historic conception in 2017, professional teams have followed suit by forming all-female teams and launching large-scale initiatives to foster the inclusion of women in gaming. Nowadays, The Stars are met with astonishment and praise by more male-dominated teams at competitions. While there’s still progress to be made in breaking down the barriers for non-men in the gaming world, The Stars are a symbol for inclusivity and community.
Edited by Shannon Worley, sworley@themaneater.com
