Dutch “Broughtash” Churchward Highlight
Esports camps have quickly become an opportunity for high school age gamers to train and build useful leadership skills from the best that collegiate esports has to offer, and Miami University has offered these camps since the inception of the varsity esports program in 2017. These esports camps provide the opportunity to foster real world skills like communication, teamwork and setting the foundations for self-improvement, all the while building community for gamers and giving these campers a chance to experience life on Miami’s campus. One of these campers was so inspired by his experience with Miami’s Esports camps that he decided then and there that this was where he wanted to study.
That former camper, and current Forger, is Dutch “broughtash” Churchward. Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Dutch’s first experience with the program was the Miami Esports summer camp program. In a bit of a chance discovery, his stepfather was the one that found Redhawks.gg, the Miami Varsity Esports website, and stumbled upon the camps link for that current year. Dutch’s luck continued as the camps that year had been pushed back a week, allowing him the opportunity to attend without losing out on his plans during the original date. According to Dutch, the Esports Camp was one of the best experiences of his life so far, even helping him come to the realization that Miami was the school he wanted to attend.
Going into this summer, Dutch decided to take the opportunity to give back to the program and become a camp counselor. He’s been playing games his entire life, but in his early teenage years Rocket League became his focus and his passion. So far at Miami he has gone from being a member of the JV Rocket League team to being a sub for the Varsity roster, where he assists as a team manager, when he’s not working with Miami’s Forge program to produce and shoutcast streams for Rocket League, Overwatch, and VALORANT. As a freshman,Dutch has made himself invaluable to the Rocket League scene here at Miami, and this summer he is making it his mission to impart the values and experiences he has learned over the past year to his campers as a counselor. When asked for advice for potential campers, Dutch responded: “keep an open mind about camp and the experience. Coming into it my first time I was scared to leave home, and now, I find that Miami was my home the whole time.”
