Welcome to the High Score Esports College Players Interview Series!

Each week, we’ll be talking with, as the name may have tipped you off to, collegiate esports players. We’re starting off with the players of Aquinas College, and want to send a special thanks to Aquinas Esports Head Coach Adam Antor for giving us access to the teams.

Now let’s introduce you to Nick “Stocks” Stockert, who plays Rocket League…

What first got you into games?

I started playing games at a young age on the Nintendo 64. When I was little my dad would play games with me a lot, and my two younger brothers would also play so it started out as friendly family competition playing games like Mario Kart and it evolved from there.

What drew you to Rocket League?

It’s funny because in high school my friends were really into the game and one of them bought the game for me because I had held out on it and wasn’t sure if it was the game for me. It started out as a casual game that I would play with my friends, but once I started playing it and getting better I just kept wanting to improve and push myself to continue to get better at it. I would say that the things that have kept me playing and always trying to improve are its sport like nature and the competitive drive that I have from normal sports that has now crossed over into Rocket League.

Do you prefer to play a more defensive style or an aggressive style? Why?

I prefer to play more of a defensive style here at AQ. I think this is because I understand positioning in Rocket League at a high level and that allows me to play off my teammates well, allowing them to push up while I stick back as third man in the rotation more often.

What do you see as your team’s main advantage?

I think the main advantage that we have as a team is the pace at which we can play and communicate. When we want to turn up the pressure we can really attack teams as a unit, all working together and outpacing other teams leading to a lot of offensive pressure against most teams that we have faced.

What advice do you have for younger players who are hoping to join a college team?

Get your name out there to coaches or programs, and to compete and play as much as possible. The esports scene is only going to continue to grow and more colleges and universities will create opportunities at the collegiate level.

When you’re not practicing Rocket League or studying, what games do you play?

Other games that I enjoy playing right now are Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Destiny 2, and Star Wars Battlefront II.

If you want to get to know Nick better, follow him on Twitter and Instagram!

Find out more about the Aquinas College Esports teams here!

To read our other interviews, click here!

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