JCNN’s Sophie Dillon caught up with local residents on Castle Hill to find out what they want updated and changed on the hill.

Athletes from James Cook University are preparing to compete in men’s basketball, volleyball and mixed touch at the Northern University Games in July.

By Gabrielle Vacher

Students from JCU are spending five days of the mid-semester break contending against like-minded students from across the region in the Northern University Games on the Sunshine Coast.

The 35 JCU representatives will be competing in the men’s basketball, volleyball, and mixed touch with the anticipation of qualifying for the Australian University Games, to be held in Sydney from the 28^th September to the 3^rd October.

JCU Sport and Recreation Officer Renee Frizzell is in charge of the preparations for the Games.

“Northern University Games are quite different to the Australian University Games,” Renee says.

“The Northern, Southern and Eastern Games are regional and determine which universities will qualify for division 2 of the more popular sports at the Australian Games – netball, lawn bowls, tenpin bowling, mixed touch, men’s basketball, indoor volleyball, soccer, and hockey. The rest of division 2 is established by the teams that did well at the Australian Games the previous year.”

After placing third in division 2 at the Australian University Games grand final last year, the JCU mixed touch team automatically qualifies to compete in division 2 again in 2014.

“Despite the fact that we already qualify for the Australian Games, we’re sending a mixed touch team down with the aim of taking out the gold,” says Renee.

“Last year we lost in the Northern Games grand final against Griffith Gold Coast who along with the Queensland University of Technology will be our toughest competitors.

“Our team is stronger than last year – we have Betty Mareko who is an Australian touch representative and will be an outstanding addition.”

Although unsuccessful in 2013, Renee has high expectations for the JCU men’s basketball and volleyball team.

“We have so much new and competitive young sporting talent in the basketball team especially, I hope that the boys do well,” she says.

“Plus it really is fantastic to have a handful of athletes from Cairns competing in our volleyball team, unfortunately last year our representatives were from the Townsville campus only.”

The University Games have built an enormous reputation dubbed as one of the ‘best weeks’ of a student’s life, renowned for providing a friendly but competitive environment combining the perfect mix of athleticism, sportsmanship and opportunity to socialise with thousands of students from across Queensland and New South Wales.

Mixed touch team member Bri Rossato is thrilled to be competing in the Northern Games again.

“I went last year and had an amazing time,” Bri says.

“It’s quite similar to the Australian University Games, but with a more tight-knit group.

“It was such a great week, with decent competition and a decent bunch of people.”

For further information about the Northern University Games, visit: http://www.unisport.com.au/Pages/Home.aspx

Sport at James Cook University becomes as intense as the study workload as the end of semester nears.

By Gabrielle Vacher.

Fisher Shield:

Water Polo held on Sunday 30^th March was the third Fisher Shield sporting final of 2014.

University Hall dominated in both matches, defeating Saint Paul’s College in the women’s competition and George Roberts Hall in the men’s.

“Uni Hall may have taken out the guy’s and the girl’s competition, but we did do a lot of training to get there,” says member of the female water polo team, Charley Bond.

“Sanders was an excellent coach for the guys and co-coach with Emily Dearling for the girls.

“The girls versed Saint Paul’s in the finals and it was very tough, but we really pulled it together in the second half.

“Both the guys and the girls were also the minor premiers of the carnival, and we never finished a game over the weekend with less than 12 goals to our team.

“Everyone played so well, and thankfully there were no injuries this year!”

Upon the introduction of Fisher Shield Cricket in 2014, the George Roberts Hall females and University Hall males were titled the first ever cricket champions after defeating the St Marks females and George Roberts Hall men at the finals on Sunday 25^th May.

Captain of the winning female cricket team Imagion Brauer says she is thrilled with the outcome of the match.

“We were going into the final undefeated so we were feeling pretty confident, but we knew that the game against St Marks was going to be a tight match,” says Imagion.

“We batted first and ended up putting 63 runs onto the score board for St Marks to chase, with Talia batting so well she had to retire – she really stepped up when some of our first batters got out quickly.

“When we went into field Steph Clay and Katii Batty took some early and crucial wickets and Sarah Bensted also bowled two girls out.

“In the end we bowled the entire Marks team out before they ran out of overs, so it was a pretty convincing win.

“I’d say Katii Batty was our most valuable player, but every single one of the girls was absolutely incredible considering I was the only one who had played some cricket before the comp.”

Semester 1 Fisher Shield finished with a bang at the Rugby Finals on Friday 30^th May.

JCU Sport and Recreation Officer and organiser of sporting events Renee Frizzell says the crowds are always entertaining.

“With four different colleges competing I knew that the finals were going to draw an enormous, animated crowd,” says Renee.

The Uni Hall males defeated St Marks 23-7, while the St Paul’s females dominated 17-5 in their match against John Flynn College.

Interfaculty Sport:

The Interfaculty Touch finals held on Thursday April 3^rd determined that the Law, Business & Creative Arts females exhibited the most sporting prowess on the touch field, while the Engineering Science males celebrated their touch football talent after their triumphant match.

Semester 1 Interfaculty Sport then culminated after the soccer finals on Friday 23^rd May, awarding the Public Health, Tropical Medicine & Rehabilitation Sciences females and the Arts, Education and Social Sciences males the winning titles.

Social Sport:

Social touch football, netball and soccer ended on Monday 26^th May, while the social volleyball finals held on Thursday 29^th May closed all social sport for semester 1.

Fisher Shield Girls Basketball: St Pauls vs St Marks

Keep up-to-date with the victories, the losses, and the dates of upcoming matches between James Cook University students and their rival colleges, faculties and fellow peers in the numerous sporting competitions held throughout the semester.

By Gabrielle Vacher.

Fisher Shield:
The Swimming Carnival held on Saturday 8th March was the launch of the 2014 Fisher Shield, a year-round
competition challenging college students to contest on the sporting field and on the stage later during the
year.

John Flynn College conquered the carnival.

“Our star swimmers were Will Lane and Sidony Miller-Waugh, who had previously swam at a national level,
plus Tom Richards and Annabel Fraser who competed at state,” John Flynn College Sporting Rep, Sky
Brunker says.

“As indicated by these students’ status we dominated in most events, however the boys did have some
tough competition from the other colleges and weren’t able to take out first.

“The girls ended up winning the entire competition and thanks to the tremendous effort put in by everyone,
John Flynn was able to take out the win for the first Fisher Shield event.”

Fisher Shield Basketball culminated last Wednesday 18th March after George Roberts Hall was defeated in
both the male and female finals by University Hall and Saint Marks.

“It sucks, of course. This would’ve been our sixth year winning the grand final.

“Saints won because of their offensive rebounds, as well as their transition basketball.

“Although we shut down some of their transitions we couldn’t convert it at our end of the court,” captain of
the George Roberts Hall female basketball team Katii Batty says.

“Special mention to Saints team captain Althea, for taking charge on the court by creating their offensive
moves and dictating the game.

“From our team, Steph Clay played exceptionally for only her second time on the basketball court.

“As vice-captain of our team she stepped up and helped lead the girls by example. She put her body on the
line repeatedly and was always hungry for the ball.”

Those who are interested in witnessing the remarkably fierce competition of intense college rivalry and impressive sporting prowess are welcome join the college crowd at the JCU pool for Water Polo on Saturday 29th March.

Alternatively, watch the guys and the girls get rough on the JCU Oval in the first game of Fisher Shield Rugby next Wednesday 2nd April.

Inter Faculty Sport:
Ever pondered over who would dominate in a sporting match between Vet students vs. Law students?

Would the Education students beat the Engineering students?

Are the Exercise Science students a sure win against the Medical students?

Inter Faculty touch continues on Wednesday 26th March.

Support your fellow classmates or put your curious mind at ease and watch the finals on Friday 28th March to
determine which faculty is the quickest and nimblest on the touch field.

Social Sport:
Combining the guys, the girls, the university students and the general public, social sport is in its third week
of contest.

There is sport suited to every preference with soccer, touch, netball and basketball held every Monday night,
and volleyball and tennis held every Thursday night.

Social Sport continues until the end of the semester providing plenty of opportunities to put down the books
and relax watching local competitors contend in your favourite match.

 

The 6th Exercise & Sport Science Australia and Sports Dieticians Australia conference ‘Research to Practice’ is to be held in Adelaide from April 10 to 12.

(Image Credit: ESSA Website)

Tamara Woolley’s soccer-based Honours research project is a ‘keeper’.

By Gabrielle Vacher

Bachelor of Sport & Exercise Science graduate Tamara Woolley is the first JCU student to be selected as a finalist for the Aspire Academy Young Investigator Award.

Tamara was chosen after submitting an abstract of her soccer-based Honours research project to the Committee of the Research to Practice conference to be held in Adelaide from April 10 to 12.

Her Honours project and contending presentation is titled ‘The Effect of Spatial Manipulation on Goalkeepers’ Anticipation of a Penalty Kick in Soccer’.

“It’s basically a study about the eye movements of a goalkeeper, observing where they’re looking when they’re trying to block the soccer ball from the goal, and then analysing how they can improve,” Tamara says.

Research to Practice is a biennial event organised by Exercise & Sports Science Australia and Sports Dieticians Australia, and is seen as an exceptional opportunity for both students and graduates to aid with professional development and networking.

The three-day conference implements a strong scientific program comprised of expert panels, interactive sessions, workshops, and presentations regarding Sports Science, Exercise Science, Nutrition, and Exercise is Medicine.

It attracts a number of high-level speakers, national exhibitors and representatives from multiple health associations.

JCU lecturer and Honours supervisor Robert Crowther encouraged Tamara to apply for the award.

“No JCU Sport & Exercise student has made the finalists or been nominated, it is quite a new award,” Robert says.

“Tamara will be up against some strong competition, but her topic is novel and it should be a good presentation.”

Of the nine awards bestowed at Research to Practice, the Aspire Academy Young Investigator Award is open to both current university students and students enrolled in the 2013 calendar year, granting $4000 prize money to the winner and $1000 to the runner-up.

A well-regarded committee has been appointed to undertake the judging of the finalist’s presentations on the basis of scientific quality, novelty, and potential impact.

“I am pretty nervous about speaking and presenting in front of such a massive crowd, but having the opportunity to further my studies and interact with such a wide range of professionals in my field will definitely make the experience worthwhile,” Tamara said.

To find out more about the Research to Practice conference, head to: Exercise Sports and Science Australia.

JCU’s Motorsports team are gearing up to compete in the 2014 Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Competition in Melbourne. 

After three years of design and marathon weeks in the workshop, the third year Engineering students are in the final stages of preparing their car for competition. 

By Laura Kajewski

ALL SMILING: The JCU Motorsports team building Omega

Check out the process of making the Omega car:

Annual Chancellor’s Cup Rugby showdown between JCU and Army was held on October 19, giving both teams a chance to avenge their 2011 losses.

By Steven Ross

The competition kicked off with the women’s game, and the JCU team finally had their chance to improve on last year’s loss to Army.

An early converted try to Army’s Amanda Di Mauro made it 7-0, and the game looked to follow the script of last year’s 20-0 punishment.

But the tempo slowed and neither team scored any more points in the first half.

The game was riddled with very physical play and tension continued to rise on the other side of the break, with JCU Captain Katy Craig receiving a cheap shot to the ribs.

“What can I say, it’s rugby. Things get heated, other teams become undisciplined. It was a sly hit behind play, little sad to see but not unexpected,” she said.

JCU crossed the white line minutes later, but it was the boot that let them down, missing the conversion.

The final score had Army on top with 7-5.

Men’s Competition

The Army were looking to avenge their 71-0 loss to JCU last year, and fielded a much stronger, fitter and faster team this time around.

It was end-to-end football for the first 10 minutes, with Army crashing over the line first, 10 metres to the right of the sticks. After the flags went up, it was 7-0 to the soldiers.

The Army scored again over in the left corner 10 minutes later. The kick was unsuccessful but they were still ahead.

Five minutes before the half, Army were on the attack again, using their sheer bulk to slowly roll a beeline to the goal.

They were rewarded with a penalty after several more attempts at the line. They chose to kick, and the Army looked to take a 15-0 lead to the break.

TOUGH GAME: All players have their eye on the prize after last year’s disappointment

With under a minute left in the half, JCU winger Chris Wellington found some space on the right touchline and scooted in for a five pointer, much to the despair of the Army pack.

The JCU captain rallied the boys at half time, telling them to pick up their game in the second half.

The second half was a free-flowing contest as the offence tried to make the most of a tiring defence.

Mid-way through the second half, an optimistic JCU scrumhalf Niall Molloy remarked, “I think we’ll win this, I just have that feeling.”

Despite JCU’s confidence, Army broke down the right touchline to score their third try and that proved to be the game breaker.

The conversion was missed, but opportunities kept coming for the visitors and the game ended with a 34-12 victory for Army.

Do you want to go see a Cowboys rugby league game, but can’t understand the rules? JCNN’s international reporter is here to help you understand the ins and outs of this tough sport.

SUPPORTERS: Norwegian exchange students Sofie Wilberg and Thea Johansen enjoying a cowboys home game
PHOTO: Camilla Moldekleiv

By Stine Pjaaten

As an international student in Townsville, I felt obligated to go to at least one Cowboys game while living in Townsville. With Cowboys hats and inflatable hands, we were ready to blend in with the fans, and get a real rugby league experience. After the match, we agreed that it was great to watch, but we really didn’t understand anything about the game.

The basics

Rugby is a style of football named after the Rugby School in England. It divides into two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.

In Australia, rugby league is one of the most popular sports. This is the same in England, New Zealand, Tonga, France and Papua New Guinea. The premier club competitions are the European Super League and the Australian National Rugby League.

Rugby league (or just league, to fans) is a tough, challenging sport with a lot of body contact. It is actually cited as the toughest, most physically demanding of all team sports. The players use minimum protection – they wear simple leather helmets to protect their ears and not much else.

The game is played between two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field with goals at each end. The aim is to score more points than the other team within 80 minutes of play. To get the oval ball up the field, players have to run with the ball, pass it to a player behind them or kick it forward.

Scoring points

Points are scored by carrying or kicking the ball down the field, or by passing the ball from player-to-player in order to maneuver around the opposition’s defense, until the ball can be moved past the opponents’ goal line and touched to the ground. This is called a try, and is the primary method of scoring. A try is worth four points. It is comparable to the touchdown in American football.

The opposing team attempts to stop the attacking team gaining points by preventing their progress up the field by tackling the player carrying the ball. Another way to score points is by kicking goals. After each try, the scoring team gains a free kick to try at goal for further points. Kicks at goal may also be awarded for penalties, and field goals can be attempted at any time during general play.

A goal is worth two points and is achieved by kicking the ball over the crossbar between the goal posts at the opponent’s side of the field. A field goal, or drop goal, is only worth one point and is gained by dropping and then kicking the ball on the half volley between the goal posts in open play.

Tackling

Field position is crucial in league. The players can only pass the ball in a backward or sideways direction. Teammates therefore have to remain aside, and not move ahead of the player with the ball. However, the ball may be kicked ahead for teammates, but if they are in front of the kicker they are deemed offside.

Tackling is a key component in a rugby league game. Only the player holding the football may be tackled. A tackle is completed when the player is stopped, or he’s put to ground. The attacking team gets a maximum of six tackles to progress up the field before possession is changed.

The players

Players on each team are divided into forwards and backs. The backs are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. They rely on running, kicking and handling skills, as well as tactics and set plays, to break the defensive line. The backs consists of one fullback, two wingers, two centers, one stand-of half and one scrum half. All of them have different tasks and positions during a game.

The forwards are generally larger built players than the backs. It is not unusual that they weigh over 100 kg. They do the majority of the work by tackling. The forwards’ two responsibilities can be broken into normal play and scrum play.

The scrum

A scrum is used to bring the ball back into the game in situations where the ball has gone out of play over the touchline or a player has made a mistake, a knock-on or forward pass.

The scrum consists of six forwards from each team joining arms in a three, two, one formation. The ball is fed through the legs of one of the players by the halfback, who normally then retrieves it again from the back of the scrum.

Both teams may attempt to secure the ball while it’s in the scrum by hooking for it or by pushing their opponents off the ball. The ball can be brought back into open play by the player retrieving it from the rear of the scrum, or by another player picking it up after detaching from the scrum.

The scrum serves to simply remove the forwards from the play for a period, thus creating more space for the backs to attack the depleted defensive line. This is intended to give advantage to the side that is awarded the scrum. It is very rare for a team to win possession of the ball, despite not having the feed, though in such situations the referee may restart the scrum.

SCRUM: Ireland rugby team in a scrum with the Pumas (international teams)
PHOTO: Paolo Cameron (Flikr)

Drawing or winning

The team who has scored most points during the 80 minutes match wins a game of rugby. If the two teams are drawing, which means that they have the same score, a draw may be declared, or the game may enter extra time under the golden point rule depending on the kind of competition.

If you think “ah, finally now I got all the rules”, well, this is just the beginning. But these will probably help you follow the scores, and for me, that is a big improvement from the last game!

JCNN sat down with cycling veteran Maurie Zanker to find out how he recovered from a horrible accident to get back in the saddle.

By Hailey Renault

He’s described on his block as the fittest man in the neighbourhood – and he lives in a Condon retirement village.

Maurie Zanker’s home looks like all the others on the street, but for one exception – the bike tyre peeking out from under his garage door.

By looking at this wide-eyed, energetic man,  you would never suspect he’d been in a serious cycling accident just two months after his 71^st birthday in 2008.

There are no memories of the accident plastered on his walls, instead vivid paintings of vibrant red desert peas dot his modest retirement home.

He and his wife Sue are obviously missing the southern shores of Australia they used to call home.

Before moving to Townsville, the Zankers called South Australia home, where Maurie was a gifted winemaker.

He fondly recalls the year he first swung his leg over a ‘real’ bike.

“I probably started around 1989,” he reminisced.  “My son was in the navy, and he came home on leave and brought his triathlon bike back with him and said ‘dad, take this for a ride’.”

“I was so impressed. I had only been riding a steel frame, which is a really heavy bike, so this was quite an eye-opener. It’s what started me off.”

As a fit, healthy and proud 75-year-old, Maurie Zanker’s got a fighting spirit.

He recounts how in 2003 (at the tender age of 66) he rode from Townsville to Cairns in the Cancer Council’s annual charity ride.

“It was good for raising money but I wanted to punish myself more than the others. I just wanted to suffer like the kids were suffering,” Maurie lamented.

It was with this noble streak and passion for health and fitness that Maurie recovered from a nasty cycling accident after a ride one balmy December morning.

It was 6 o’clock, the witching hour for cyclists and fitness junkies. Maurie was riding back from the Kelso Dam with his usual group on a social training ride.

The group of lycra-clad men pedaled in perfect synchronicity, gliding over the dewy roads in two files. Maurie was tucked inside the pack, about four back from the front. No one could predict or avoid what happened next.

A dog ran out in front of the group and the chaos to avoid injury quickly descended into a mess of bikes and bodies. The leaders slammed on their brakes out of instinct, and those behind them only had a split second to react.

“Two bikes came down in front of me and I thought ‘Shit this doesn’t look good’,” Maurie said.

He was trapped. If he went right he would collide with another rider. If he went left he would crash into a ditch.

He had no choice but to stay on course, riding over fallen bikes strewn across the road in front of him.

“I heard the clatter as I hit the ground,” he said, “Then the bloke behind me crashed into me and cracked into my back.”

“I heard the sound of cleats clicking out of pedals and I thought I would just lie there for a few seconds and regain my composure,” he said with a grimace.

“But when it was time to get up, I couldn’t get up.”

Maurie knew something was wrong as his hip throbbed with extreme pain.

“The ambulance came and the guys gave me one of those green whistles,” Maurie recalled, “They’re absolutely magic, those things.”

The crash left him suffering from four hip fractures, a cracked rib and cracked pelvic and pubic bones. His recovery was long and slow, but it failed to dampen Maurie’s spirits. He was most annoyed about trading his fitness for bed rest.

RECOVERY: Maurie, in recovery, and his wife Sue on Christmas Day

“What was so frustrating was that the older you are, the faster you lose your fitness level and the longer it takes to regain that again,” he said.

Maurie knows he was lucky to recover though. At 71 years of age, a broken hip would usually be a death sentence, or at least get you an early entry into a home.

Maurie described how he was disappointed in the way the hospital dealt with his injuries.

“The doctors that saw to me didn’t give me any indication of how my recovery would go,” he chuffed. “They didn’t suggest I go see a physiotherapist or anything.

“I got the feeling that they told me what the problem was, they told me to rest and then it was just ‘see you later’.”

The reality is that in many cases, elderly patients like Maurie wouldn’t be able to do much to recover.

“I came back after the six weeks in bed and the guy said my hip was looking ok,” Maurie said.

“I asked him if I should be going to see a physiotherapist. He just said, “Just keep doing whatever you are doing”.

“Oh, so I can go ride up Castle Hill?” Maurie replied.

Since his accident, he’s been back on the bike and continues to ride, though his confidence to ride with a group has been irreparably damaged.

He said his friends and family were surprised at how fast he bounced back and could only attribute that to his fitness from cycling. Now at 75 years of age, Maurie is more keen to ride than ever.

“My fitness levels went down since after the accident, and also my blood pressure has gone up,” he said.

“I’m keen to get back into riding more soon to get these things back down.”

Maurie is a true testimony to the health benefits of staying active in your later years.  It may not get any easier to throw your leg over the saddle, but it will certainly pay off.

His slick black-and-yellow road bike still takes pride of place in his garage, and you can bet he still has a drawer full of matching jerseys and lycra Knicks, too.

For Maurie, cycling is more than a sport, it’s a way of life.

“I want to continue cycling for the fitness as well as the social aspect,” he said.

“I think it helps keep me young.”

While thousands of Australians sit in front of their TVs every night to watch traditional sporting teams battle it out, thousands more are glued to their computer screens watching their favourite teams clash for huge prizes and reputation in gaming tournaments across the country.

JCNN caught up with the members of one team to see what impact the rising popularity of online e-sports has had on their lives.

By Joel Preston

Exhausted after a long day of work, making the most of the spare couple of hours before his wife and kids get home, Troy Penhall sits down at his computer and waits as it whirs to life.

He picks up his headset, positions the microphone next to his mouth and clicks on a familiar silver-and-green icon allowing him access to his team’s voice server.

The 34-year-old South Australian man is immediately hit with familiar ‘heys, hellos and g’days’ from an array of voices coming from people all over Australia and New Zealand.

As he begins to load up Call of Duty: Black Ops he sees the usual tags join him on his screen.

He has a stable, long-term job, a loving family and something else – an online team. He is a competitive gamer.

When compared to other nations around the world the Australian e-sports scene is underdeveloped and, to the general public, relatively unheard of.

Video games were once considered a youth trend, but have become an established part of the modern entertainment scene. The statistics about the gaming demographic will most likely shock the average Australian.

Popular Australian gaming site Kotaku.com.au created a pictograph (pictured right) called Video Game Statistics At A Glance.

It showed the average age of a gamer is 32 years old and 49 per cent of players are between the ages of 18 and 49.

In the United States 65 per cent of households shelter a gamer, while figures jump enormously in nations like South Korea where gaming at the professional level is celebrated.

Introduction to the online community

Troy started playing online casually in 2010 before becoming immersed in the competitive gaming world.

“The people you meet through gaming are never the same,” he said.

“I’m from a family background and I’ve got a decent job, whereas some of them don’t work and couldn’t really give a stuff about reality.

“Others you wouldn’t even pick as computer players, you’d think they’d be totally different people in the real world.”

Australia’s adoption of an R18+ classification for video games this year put gaming at the forefront of people’s minds.

The gaming trend was followed closely by electronic sports, or e-sports, where teams are formed to compete in online ladders for prize money, sponsorships and their reputation.

One of Australia’s longest running Heroes of Newerth (HoN) teams, or clans,  is called 1Day and is made up of people who have been playing Personal Computer (PC) games together for up to three years.

COMMUNITY: Clan members unite on the 1Day website

Troy, known in game as HYDE, joined the 1Day clan in February 2010 after noticing they had a strong presence in the PC game Crysis Wars.

“I was new to gaming and I saw the 1Day tags and the 1Day server and I didn’t know if I was quite good enough,” he said.

“I had never been in a clan and wasn’t expecting too much out of it, it was just a fun thing to do and those blokes seemed like pretty decent fellas.

“I got more out of it than I expected – you make pretty good relationships and, even though it may sound strange, you form good bonds with the people in your clan and you get to know them.”

“Even though  you don’t know each others faces over the net, you talk to each other so much that it becomes a pretty close relationship.”

Positive effects of gaming

Another long term member of the 1Day team from Melbourne had an entirely different back story to Troy.

Paul Brunning (Hardstyler) was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, and had a difficult time in social situations. But online he shone, often carrying his team to victory in matches against other groups.

Online, Asperger’s meant nothing to Paul. He could laugh, talk and joke along with everyone else.

“The best moments I’ve had is when I’ve been gaming. No one can see me being stupid, I’m just one of the group,” he said.

Paul said his time competing online has improved his speech and confidence in the real world.

Meeting in the real world

Many gamers take the plunge and meet each other at large Australian competitive Local Area Network gaming events.

Several members of the 1Day community have met at various national events like the Sydney Gamers League and the TTesports event in Canberra.

1Day administrator Benny Argaet (Arctic0wl) said meeting the people he had spoken to online was an odd experience.

“Meeting people was a bit weird, some are really loud online but in real life they are really quiet,” he said.

1Day primarily competes in the multi-player online battle arena (MOBA) game Heroes of Newerth (HoN), which held a series of international competitions throughout the year many Australian teams took part in.

PRE-GAME: Both teams attempt to counter each other in the selection phase of the match

Serious competition

Competition in these events is serious business, often with thousands of hours of training put into practice. The team’s bonds are tested when mistakes are made.

The leader of 1Day’s Heroes of Newerth team, Eric Wai (AngelAdvcate) said people need to learn from their mistakes and be good to each other to stay together and be successful.

“There are going to be times when they’re going to make a mistake or people just disagree on what you should have done at a certain point,” he said.

“Sometimes it is good just to sit back and analyse it thoroughly. Communication with your team is key.”

Eric said his team was improving and were on their way to a strong presence in the international HoN community.

“We’ve entered a few national tournaments and we have done pretty well,” he said.

“Recently we came second in  the Cyber Gamer (CGi) tournament. A while back we came second in the DreamHack qualifiers for the Oceania division.

STRONG CONTENDERS: The 1Day team placed second in the oceanic DreamHoN qualifiers

“Right now we are in CGi. So far we have won our first game which is good.”

The CGi is often referred to as the ‘pro league’ of Australian competition where the best go to compete against each other. The website has been described as single-handedly running the Australian competitive e-sports scene.

Cyber Gamer opened in 2007 and now boasts 194,000 registered users with skill-based leagues and competition ladders across several games.

With high monetary prizes on offer, individuals and teams communicate and practise politics with each other on a level akin to real sports teams.

Click here to listen to a commentator follow an e-sport competiton. 

1Day administrator Benny Argaet (Arctic0wl) said the pressure of high level competition can put stress on a team and individuals to perform well.

“HoN is really one of those games where you can tell someone’s character because it really tests you emotionally.”

Benny said Australian e-sports was being held back because most of the organisations involved can’t manage people well.

“Leadership is really, really lacking in the e-sports community,” he said.

“The players we have (in 1Day) are no different from any other, except they have subscribed to a good model because the leaders have pushed it towards them and have said ‘you have to do this if you want to be in the clan’.

“If there were more people like that there would be more substance in clans and a much stronger e-sports community.”

Benny admits that e-sports, while rising in popularity, are still lacking when compared to real sports.

“Real sport encourages interaction, not only the vocal kind but the physical kind as well,” he said.

“Simple things like shaking hands or giving each other a hug, that sort of interaction is not something you can get online.

“You’ll see a lot of people in the future, particularly really good gamers, become so bland.

“They aren’t bad people, they are just lacking something you know?”

Gaming addiction and its consequences

A stereotype exists that implies people who over-indulge in video games have no lives and no social skills.

Many gamers disagree with the stereotype and say they live normal lives. When over half the population classify as gamers it is difficult to argue against their point.

However, Benny said he experienced the all too common negative effects of excessive gaming.

“When you’re confident around people, talking to people, even if it is online you develop a massive co-dependency on them,” he said.

“Sometimes you need alone time and if you have the option to speak to someone online, it accentuates bad habits because there is always someone awake on the internet.”

Benny said he had to forcibly cut down the time he spent playing online.

“Your life tends to get a bit off track, I’ve cut down a lot and I can now wake up at reasonable times,” he said.

“I’m probably a little bit better now than when I was playing all the time, because every game I do play now is that little bit more important.”

Troy (HYDE) also said he came to a realization about his gaming habit and had to stop playing so excessively.

“I felt obligated to play,” he said, “I was playing every day and racking up so many hours, and started thinking ‘jeez it’s been two years where has the time gone?”

“In another four years my eldest daughter will probably be out of the house and gone, and my youngest daughter will be growing up and maybe I should be spending a bit more time with them.”

The players from 1Day celebrate their three-year anniversary on September 30 this year.

Their experiences in the competitive scene have been mirrored by millions of others across the world and, as the popularity of e-sports continues to rise, millions more will experience them in the future.