What is game day? At DigiPen, it depends on who you ask. For most students, game day involves busting out a strategy board game or challenging other students to the latest multiplayer brawler. For those in the Dragon Athletics club, game days are often filled with daring physical plays, fancy footwork, and lots of cheering on the sidelines — all during the club’s weekly soccer matches.
In a school teeming with technological creators and problem-solvers, finding time for fitness can be a challenge. That’s where Dragon Athletics comes in. As an all-encompassing social group that promotes physical activity and exercise, the Dragon Athletics club also encourages students to get up and find opportunities for growth away from the computer screen — no matter their previous experience or skill level.
“It was so nice to clear my head by kicking the ball around and not think about raytracing, graphics, or anything math related for a few hours,” DigiPen BS in Computer Science and Game Design graduate Carlos Garrido says of his time in the club. When he first began attending DigiPen, Garrido was one of many students interested in sports who, at the time, didn’t have an outlet for it yet.
A desire among students to be more active came to a head during the Fall 2021 semester. As the school continued to adapt to the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic, students sought out opportunities to break away from their seclusion and stay physically active in safe environments. A few of these students finally took the leap and formed Dragon Athletics, a play that quickly proved beneficial.
“People were very concerned about their health, and many were isolated for a long time,” says DigiPen BS in Computer Science graduate Rohit Saini, one of the students who helped form Dragon Athletics. Before the club, Saini would occasionally join friends and acquaintances on hikes or to play sports, but it wasn’t a simple process to get involved. “A lot of people were interested in physical activities and becoming more fit, but none of them were connected to others with similar interests, which made it demotivating for some,” Saini says.
With the arrival of the club, a Discord server was set up that served as a convenient space to plan the group’s activities. Individual discussion channels dedicated to hiking, biking, running, basketball, and a variety of other sports and outdoor activities were created to give students the chance to meet like-minded athletes. Other channels focused on gym workouts and nutrition offered a space to discuss healthy lifestyles and exchange tips with other students. Before long, students were participating in volleyball matches with other local colleges and going on many of the hundreds of hikes in the surrounding Redmond area.
Now that the club exists, people know they can get the academic degree that they want without having to sacrifice the sport that they played in high school or stop being active.
Dragon Athletics didn’t just improve students’ physical health — it boosted their mental wellbeing too. “Athletics is such a crucial part of who I am, and my mental health would be way down without it,” says Nathan White, a junior in the BS in Computer Science and Game Design program. White was one of the founding members of the club, and one of his main motivating factors in creating it was to connect with students who found themselves overwhelmed in their studies. He believes being able to step away from a screen, enjoy the outdoors, and interact with new faces is critical in maintaining your mental health in a college setting.
The influence of Dragon Athletics is strong enough that it has even impacted students’ decision to enroll at DigiPen. Dayton Westmark, a BS in Computer Science and Game Design graduate, attests to the draw a sports community can have within a school. “I’ve talked to other graduates who wished they could have done basketball, volleyball, or whatever was available,” says Westmark. “Now that the club exists, people know they can get the academic degree that they want without having to sacrifice the sport that they played in high school or stop being active.”
Club organizers are always happy to work with any student that wants to form a team and schedule events for a dedicated sport, but soccer has remained a foundational force since the inception of the group. What started as a few pickup soccer games has since morphed into an official team that plays on a weekly basis. The DigiPen Dragons, as the team is proudly called, go head-to-head with local teams in the Redmond area. It’s another chance for students in the club to competitively connect with other athletes, many of whom also come from the Redmond area tech world.
Meeting regularly outside the school and forging bonds on the soccer field also has effects back on campus. “Our very first competitive game was a ton of fun because we were trying to figure out what we’re all doing together and how we are being competitive,” recounts Riley Durbin, a junior in the BS in Computer Science and Game Design program. “We would meet in the cafeteria and come up with strategies and discuss plays.”
For some students, teaming up for game projects was the next logical step. “There are people that I never would have met if it wasn’t for the clubs and the events,” says Garrido.
This camaraderie extends beyond even the current cohort. Soccer Sundays bring players together for more casual pickup games, but it’s open to all members of Dragon Athletics — including students who have graduated.
“It’s great to see the energy they put into the game, and it shows what they will bring into the industry,” says BS in Computer Science graduate Hans Saumer. Now a software developer at Echodyne, a radar technology company DigiPen students previously worked with through a co-op arrangement, Saumer understands the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “Having the proper balance in life is essential to remaining healthy. Healthy students or employees generate better work, and athletics help build teamwork in all the activities they do.”
What’s next for Dragon Athletics? Now that the soccer team is sporting their flashy new jerseys, the summer months will continue with regular soccer outings and gym runs coordinated through the Discord server. But there’s an ambitious outlook for the future of the group. Elevating other sports and forming additional teams is a major goal for the next semester, and group leaders are hoping students understand the Dragon Athletics club as a space to get involved with their own ideas and passions.
“Whatever gets people moving,” says Durbin. “The unique part about us is that we’re actively building the club. The more interest we get, the bigger our athletic opportunities become. Talk to us!”