Sarah Tashjian, just one year ago, was the sole camper at Girls & Allies Gaming Camp at Affinity Esports.

When asked how she feels to have two more for company this year, she first said in a joking tone that “it’s very good because that means business is growing.”

Then, the 13-year-old added, “It’s good to see more girls in gaming. You don’t get to see that very often because of all of the males that have taken over esports,” said Sarah.

According to statistics corroborated by Affinity, “taking over” isn’t much of an overstatement. Half of gamers are reportedly girls, but they are far outnumbered in the esports industry.

Coach Kate Petersen, a co-leader of the camp, said she loves the idea of the industry moving towards more equality in a male-dominated space.

“I would love for girls to feel a sense of belonging and a sense of ownership in the sphere,” said Coach Petersen.

Nearly every day at camp, which ran from July 31 to August 4, the three girls were treated to one or two guest speakers from the world of esports who phoned in on video chat. This way, they were able to hear advice and ask questions about their area of interest in between the camp’s collaborative gaming sessions.

Coach Petersen said she was thrilled to see the women in leadership and esports, and was “really inspired by the breadth of experience” among the speakers.

The speakers included Julie Mavrogeorge, award-winning esports leader and “trailblazer in the fields of education technology” according to Affinity Esports Owner Mark Kilpatrick, Bronwyn Stockley, an internationally recognized “Minecraft expert”; Rebecca Dixon, co-founder and CEO of The gameHERs; and finally, CEO of Evil Geniuses Nicole LaPointe Jameson.

LaPointe Jameson spoke on the final day of camp, where The Newtown Bee was invited to sit in among the girls and don a gaming headset.

According to Kilpatrick, Evil Geniuses is “one of the most renowned and oldest esports organizations in the world,” and camp leaders expressed enthusiasm for the honor of having her virtually “visit.”

‘Hum-bitious’ Industry Legend

When LaPointe Jameson appeared on the screen in the front of the room, and in the Discord server on each computer screen, the CEO seemed just as pleased to be there to speak from her office in Seattle.

“We are all here because we love gaming and making the gaming community a better place,” she said, addressing the room.

LaPointe Jameson discussed her unique transition from the world of finance into the world of gaming, expressing that while it was unusual, she “probably [has] a PhD equivalent and Skyrim” and detailed other gaming associations.

“It helps when you work in something that you care about. Then, the business[-side] doesn’t hurt that much,” said LaPointe Jameson.

The Greenwich, Connecticut native said the Evil Geniuses teams prepare for competition 200 days a year.

“E-sports at this level wasn’t a job 15 years ago,” said LaPointe Jameson, adding the industry is figuring out how competitive video games work as the field develops.

LaPointe Jameson addressed a question about diversity in esports provided by the coaches, and said “gender is one way to slice the pie,” with additional diversity-related problems in esports recruitment.

She said she saw early on there was a cultural problem in gaming, but also a competitive problem as the vast majority of those in esports are male. Evil Geniuses as a company, however, subverts this, as LaPointe Jameson reports it is 62 percent female, which includes data from the teams.

Lapointe Jameson talked about how Evil Geniuses is focused on creating the infrastructure for diverse talent to succeed, and about how women make esports better despite social norms about involvement unsupported by data.

She discussed how esports as an industry wasn’t built with accessibility in mind, despite lack of traditional barriers to entry-like location.

Referencing the gap between the number of female gamers and those participating in esports, LaPointe Jameson said, “until that gap is closed, the product is unfinished.”

To the girls in the room, LaPointe Jameson reviewed the qualities of a good leader, which she broke down to three facets: being liked, being trusted, and being respected. She added that “being a leader means you can show up in a lot of different ways” after finding “your own style.”

LaPointe Jameson emphasized integrity and respect in what makes a good leader, and asked the campers to think of the cost of prioritizing being liked above all.

“You need to be hum-bitious,” said LaPointe Jameson, combining “humble” and “ambitious.”

During questions, LaPointe Jameson also encouraged girls to leave spaces where they are not valued, making judgment calls on whether something is worth their time. This was particularly pertaining to situations where they find themselves to be the only girl in a room — a situation, LaPointe Jameson attests she still finds herself in during meetings with other entities.

“Make sure you have friends,” said LaPointe Jameson, referring to the world outside those rooms. “Make sure you find your escape route, and your tribe.”

In addition to this advice, she added that the ten- to 13-year-olds should try to be comfortable around the idea that “not all paths are linear” when it comes to the paths they want to take.

“I wish I embraced some of the randomness,” said LaPointe Jameson about her own journey in esports.

After all questions were asked by Affinity staff, campers were interested in whether LaPointe Jameson competed, or if she liked to play any games herself. LaPointe Jameson expressed she was not much of a gamer, but enjoyed playing the games the girls frequented.

Round Two

After the day was over and following a short break, the girls returned for the free Girls & Allies Gaming Club later that Friday afternoon for even more teamwork, competition, and laughter.

The club has 30 members in total and is “open to all girls, women, femme identifying individuals, and any allies that support them,” according to Mark Kilpatrick.

Coach Emily Kilpatrick said she hopes girls know that gaming is “for everyone” and “they can be just as kick butt as anyone else.

“We model for the boys and young men that are here and normalize the presence of girls …” said Coach Kilpatrick, who added girls are good, sometimes better at games, “fun and funny.”

To answer what has been most rewarding for her leading the girls’ group, Coach Kilpatrick said it was seeing them grow in their capabilities in the sport, as team members, and “little individuals.”

“It’s beautiful seeing how they gel playing the game together, and building friendships,” added Coach Petersen.

Girls & Allies Gaming Camp is free and meets every Friday from 4 to 6 pm at Affinity Esports.

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Reporter Noelle Veillette can be reached at noelle@thebee.com.