Introduction

Hey, my name is Erwin Wiersma but in most circles I'm known as Strawberry. I'm a 25 year old student from the Netherlands where I work hard to get my bachelor in gamedesign. In my free time I'm a shout caster for League of Legends for numerous events around the Netherlands and Belgium and do I help out with different communities on online boards. I love to travel the world and my biggest dream is to one day combine my passion for gaming with my work to see as many palmtrees as possible. I've been given the honor to represent the Netherlands so today I want to talk about what E sports means to me and how you can be part of it.

E sports

E sports has become a booming industry where Counterstrike, Star Craft 2 and the world championships for League of Legends in Seoul broke records all over the place. And it's not just League of Legends but also newer titles like Smite and Hearthstone that are taking the stage with thousands upon thousands of viewers and I believe this is just the start of what is about to come. However it didn't always used to be as mainstream as it is today. Although Korea had Starcraft 2 broadcasted on tv we had to go out of our homes to find competitive gaming at lans or other gaming events. Becoming a pro-gamer was not something you were meant to aspire to unless you already made a decent living out of it. A lot has changed over time and the stigma of gaming being only for the most nerdy among us is slowly disappearing and making place for a more mainstream ideal, that being a pro-gamer is a form of sport and good entertainment. I can only imagine that in the future we'll be able to find footage of our favorite players in the living room as well. 

My path

My path started with a small clan that focused on casual play in the Netherlands. They were holding a small League of Legends tournament and you have to imagine that at that point in time streaming was slowly becoming the next big thing to do. I didn't really have a team at that point so they asked me if I was interested in streaming the matches. I've always had the tendency to talk too much about things I was excited about and instead of annoying people with it I decided to use it for the greater good and give it a shot. The stream had the most horrible quality ever and a lot of things went wrong but none the less the players were excited being casted and I had the most fun ever doing it. Never could I have imagined that casting here would have propelled me into where I am today. I did some other online tournaments by high demand and before I knew it I was in contact with a rioter to help out with the online qualifiers for the LCS some months later. From here on it went pretty quick and I was asked for my first onsite event experience which totally blew my mind.

My passion

Bright lights burn on my face as excitement fills the air around me. My lips form words as one of the teams playing a few meters away from me scores an ace and secures Baron Nashor. The crowd goes wild and some even give a standing ovation. I move back in my seat and look over to my co-caster with a smile. This is why I love E sports so much. The excitement you feel when the players make an amazing play while you get the opportunity to share it with the crowd can't be described with proper words. You need to be there to feel and experience it. My goal is not to put myself in the spotlight but to be the bridge between pro-players and their audience and give them the highest entertainment value possible. 

Your path

Many would say I've been lucky that I was there at the right time and I can't say they are completely wrong. E sports is a totally new industry that's still growing and knowing the right people at the right time can definitely help you out but in the end it's hard work and serious dedication that will help you get noticed. So how do you get started making your own luck? It all starts with the right mindset and attitude to work hard and make sacrifices. Take in mind that even though the industry is pretty booming you'll probably have to start out doing a lot of volunteering work before you get where you want to be. The general rule is that if you want to do something you should start doing it right now and not wait till tomorrow. Start casting, ask around if you can help on E sports websites, volunteer for events and create local tournaments. They are all legit ways to get started in the world of E sports and will get you in touch with some of the most amazing people that make this all possible.

Together we make E sports grow into a legit sport for us all to enjoy. Be part of it!