RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. – Esports is booming, and at Marymount California University the eSports program, like any other competitive athletics program, is being billed as a good way to develop leadership skills and promote teamwork.

It also happens to be getting very lucrative on the international stage. MCU eSports team member Caroline O'Neil has always loved gaming, so she recently joined the MCU team as one of the few female members.

“I love it. I wanted to try new games like PC games, PS4, Xbox. Any console game,” said O’Neil, from the MCU eSports training facility overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Rancho Palos Verdes.

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O’Neil admits most have a difficulty seeing competitive gaming as a legitimate sport, but that doesn't bother her. From her point of view, gaming brings all sorts of skills into play and team building is what it's all about.

“It's like the strategy and the fun of it,” she said. “What I like most about it is the teammates. You have to have that connection.”

Fernando Monay was appointed the eSports coach last November and he says MCU is approaching the building of the eSports program just as they would any other athletics team.

“We have structure now,” said Monay. “We have elected which games we're going to play, what we're going to do, practice regimens, and what we're going to learn off of them. When you become an athletics department, in that realm, you have to start looking into leagues, the same as like a baseball league. And so that's the path we're going with.”

O’Neil, who is currently training on EA’s Apex Legends, says many of her friends and family did not take eSports seriously.

“At first, they were really surprised because they haven't realized how big has become,” said O’Neil. “And I know a lot of people think gaming isn't a real sport, but it's all about the strategies and you have to plan. And it takes energy, I’m not going to lie! I'm really glad I joined.”

Although Marymount California University is a relatively small campus, there is already a sense of pride in their eSports program and coach Monay says he fully expects the team, which currently sits at around thirteen members, to grow to over 40 by summertime.