OLEAN — The eSports stadium at SUNY Jamestown Community College’s Cattaraugus County Campus continues to be a hub for regional high school and middle school competitions.

Five schools in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties and more than 50 students ranging from sixth grade to seniors participated in the CA BOCES spring tournament at JCC’s downtown Olean location. Since 2023 it was the fifth time BOCES has held a tournament on the campus.

“We have used the campus and space multiple times and have always been very happy with the venue,” said Karen Insley, CA BOCES program manager who oversees student programming. “As usual, Jonathan (Kowal, JCC athletic and recruitment coordinator) was a fantastic host. The Magnano Room and the eSports arena are a perfect fit for our group.”

Members of the Randoph eSports team compete at Jamestown Community College in Olean. (SUNY JCC)

Teams from Andover, Bolivar-Richburg, Cattaraugus-Little Valley, Olean and Randolph enjoyed the day at JCC playing Rocket League, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros. games.

Randolph earned the season-long Rocket League crown, finishing unbeaten in matches.

“The students love being able to show off their talents and skills in a competitive environment,” said Andrew Garvey, coach of Randolph. “They are always so excited when we get to bring home a trophy or banner to display in the school. They see it happen so often for traditional sports, so it’s so nice for them to be recognized in a similar fashion.”

While some other area schools opt to play in remote leagues against teams from around the country, the CA BOCES league doesn’t require a hefty entry fee and allows students to compete locally, and face-to-face in fall and spring tournaments at JCC.

“My students love the face-to-face competition,” said Malibu Peelman, Bolivar-Richburg coach. “They love having an event for eSports, and for my older students they enjoy learning of the possibilities of further education at JCC.”

JCC’s sprawling eSports stadium, with its capacity to host 60 or more students, is a perfect place for a regional gaming tournament. The stadium opened in 2022 and is home to the college’s National Junior College Athletics Association Esports team. It includes an arena for official competitions and a mezzanine for viewing, a meeting room with computers for practice, an activity area with console games, and a reception area.

CA BOCES plans to hold its next big tournament, this December, at JCC.

Garvey said the stadium is “great facility with lots of equipment and rooms to fit students,” while Peelman added that the space “allows for focus in the students’ gaming interest.”

Theresa Pfeil from Hinsdale Central School attended the spring tournament to see what it was all about and for guidance in growing the eSports program at the school. The Olean team, meanwhile, visited the JCC arena for the first time this spring to play.

Kowal said that in addition to BOCES affiliated schools, many from around the region and beyond have visited the stadium to play and observe what JCC has created.

“We’ve had visitors in the past just come to see what it was, how to build something, and then went on their way back to their school,” Kowal said.

Though Randolph has had an informal gaming club for 12 years, many area schools are new to eSports. CA BOCES started its eSports league for schools three years ago, with a half dozen or more competing at different times.

Visit JCCJayhawks.com for more information about JCC eSports.