Shreveport – Centenary College athletics is excited to announce the addition of three new sports: esports, Men's Competitive Club Volleyball, and STUNT as the school makes history and becomes one of the first in the state of Louisiana to offer these sports under the direction of the athletic department beginning in the Fall of 2020 and 2021.
Centenary's esports program will become a varsity sport in the fall of 2021, Men's Competitive Club Volleyball begins this fall (2020), and STUNT in the fall of 2021.
We are extremely excited to announce the addition of a varsity esports program starting in Fall 2021," said Marcus Manning, Directory of Athletics and Recreation. We will begin recruiting prospective students interested in League of Legends, Overwatch and Rocket League."
Centenary College is the first Louisiana institution to announce their intention to join the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE).
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is a nonprofit membership association organized by and on behalf of our member institutions. Together, our members are developing the structure and tools needed to advance collegiate esports in the varsity space. We are collaborating to lay the groundwork in areas such as: Eligibility, Path to Graduation, and Competition & Scholarships. NACE is the only association of varsity esports programs at colleges and universities across the U.S. For more information on esports and the organization, please visit: https://nacesports.org/
"Men's volleyball is of the fastest growing NCAA sports," said head coach Ashley McDonough. We are laying the groundwork for the sport in NWLA by starting a men's collegiate club program in an area that traditionally hasn't featured much volleyball (men's or women's) up until recent years. We will continue growing to offer more boys and men the opportunity to play."
"I'd first like to thank both Coach Ashley and director of athletics and recreation Marcus Manning," said sophomore and team captain Daniel Hernandez.
"If it wasn't for them this program wouldn't be here today. Starting this team means more to me than just having an opportunity to play—but represents how supportive the Centenary community is."
Please visit the SIVA (Southern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) web site for more information: https://sivavolleyball.com
Centenary becomes the first school in the state of Louisiana to offer STUNT.
"I am very excited we are bringing STUNT here to Centenary," said Ellen Reid, Centenary Head Competitive Cheer and Dance Coach/Spirit Coordinator.
"Being the first collegiate program in the State of Louisiana is really something special that I think will benefit the college and prospective STUNT student-athletes greatly," said Reid.
USA Cheer created STUNT as an opportunity for colleges, universities and high schools to meet the strict Title IX requirements of a sport. With more than 500,000 high school cheerleaders, STUNT expands participation opportunities for young women by providing an avenue for female athletes to use their cheerleading background in a new format.
STUNT, according to USACheer.org, is "One of the fastest growing female sports in the country, and removes the crowd-leading element and focuses on the technical and athletic components of cheer, including partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, group jumps and tumbling. These elements are put together in short routines that both teams must perform head-to-head on the floor at the same time. The team that executes the skills best wins the round and the point, and has the opportunity to determine which routine level will be called next. With four quarters of play – partner stunts, pyramids & tosses, jumps & tumbling, and team routine – STUNT is an exciting sport to play, coach and watch.
#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity
