by BRETT MARSHALL, CSU Public Relations Intern
eSports gaming is rising faster than ever before, and Spencer Good, a junior at Minnesota State University, Mankato, is looking to make his mark in a game called Rocket League.
Good began playing Rocket League, a game he described simply as “rocket powered cars playing soccer,” on his XBOX five years ago while attending Mankato West High School.
He originally picked up the game casually to play with friends. The rush he got from playing was similar to the nerves and excitement he got from playing lacrosse and ever since he’s developed a big passion for the game.
“It’s helped me find a healthy gaming community. I’ve met and connected with people I never would have if not for Rocket League. There’s been so many times when someone has told me their friends play Rocket League and we end up playing with one another down the road and becoming friends,” Good said.
After years of playing Rocket League with his friends, Good has developed serious skill. In March, he rose to a top 10 player in the state of Minnesota and to the top 1 percent of Rocket League players internationally which means among the 50 million players worldwide, he’s one of the top 500,000 players.
He credits his rapid growth to active learning within the game and a mindset focused on skill development and not just winning.
‘I also play under the philosophy that I’m playing to improve and not to win.’
Spencer Good, Top 10 Minnesota Rocket League Player
“I attribute my relatively fast growth to watching and playing with higher skilled players and picking their brains to learn what they’re doing that I’m not. I also play under the philosophy that I’m playing to improve and not to win.”
Despite these achievements, Good remains humble.
“Honestly I still don’t think I’m very good at the game. There are so many weird and complex mechanics I still have to master and practice. So to me, it’s easy to see where I can still get better,” he said.
Good hopes to help grow Rocket League at Minnesota State Mankato by forming team, which could eventually receive support from the university. The team would compete in the College Rocket League (CRL), which features university teams from across the country. Most of the matches are streamed on Twitch and YouTube and often generating hundreds of thousands of views. Good has also been asked to join a competitive team out of Eastern Connecticut University.
Good says school remains his top priority as he’s pursuing a degree in accounting, but hopes he can continue to hone his skills.
“I want to reach the top rank in Minnesota and move into the top .1 percent internationally. There’s a lot of growing to do before then, but I hope to eventually get it.”
Good encourages anyone who’s passionate about eSports to dive in and go for it. He said the best way to start is to do it with friends.
“Every game is better with friends, so make sure you either find people or bring people to the eSport.”
He also recommends playing the underdog as the key to success.
“Finding people that are better than you at the game is huge if you want to get better fast, but most importantly you should play to improve. If you only focus on winning on every single game, you won’t try new things and make the mistakes that are key to learning and improving.”
If you’re interested in becoming a part of MSU’s Rocket League team or want some tips and tricks to improve at Rocket League, Good said he’d love to help.
