Board Member Profile: Anthony Pham

Once the captain of CSULB’s uLoL team, Anthony “Fox Main” Pham has now taken on the responsibilities of President of the CSULB Esports & Gaming Association. He discusses his origins in gaming and the club, details pertaining to his presidency – including challenges and some of his proudest moments, and what he thinks the future holds for the club.

So tell us a little bit about yourself, about who you are outside of CSULB Esports & Gaming Association.

I’m a 4th year Computer Science major and I switched over from Biology. At some point, I realized I was only majoring in Biology to make my parents happy rather than myself and it wasn’t really a good fit for me. After changing to CS, I found a love for it because it fueled my imaginative nature more than Bio ever did because I got to solve problems and create stuff. There’s no hate on Biology, it just wasn’t for me, is all.

Outside of the club, I like to think of myself as the same way! The biggest difference is just that there’s less responsibility on me so I get to be more relaxed, but for the most part…I still love to play video games, crack jokes, and make people laugh.

As everyone has a story of some sort with their IGN (in-game name), how did you come up with “Fox Main?”

Fox Main came from my Super Smash Bros. Melee days, when I would, of course, play only Fox. I wasn’t very good but I like to think I was, and that became my IGN over time.

What was your starting point in video games, then?

I first got into video games when I played on my cousin’s PS1. Eventually, I bought my own PS2 and moved into PC gaming a couple years later. Some of my first PC games were League of Legends and CS:GO.

Speaking of League of Legends, what was your competitive experience before joining the club?

It was pretty much just solo queue since Esports was still new at the time. I actually joined the club because I wanted to see how I could match up against other collegiate LoL players in a more competitive and team-focused environment.

So what made you decide to become President as opposed to continuing to play competitively for the club?  

I wanted to become President because I wanted to help the club in a more substantial role. I had and still have great visions/goals for the club moving forward and being President felt like the best way to implement them.

What were some of the first challenges you faced after the former President (Lourdes “Luly” Flores) passed on the role to you? And how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was pretty much getting used to the role. I had to keep up with the demands, such as organizing events and lugging equipment around.  But what really helped me get past this was just diving in headfirst and learning by trial and error. I lacked experience, to be honest, and the only way to fix that was to give myself the experience and learn from the mistakes.

Now that you’ve had a couple semesters as President, describe some of your proudest accomplishments you’ve had since assuming the role.

The first one that comes to mind is when we fielded our first ever Rainbow 6 Siege collegiate team and they finished 2nd place overall in the nation last semester. There’s another one that I’m proud of and it’s coming up soon! It should be a lot of fun and I have a good feeling about it.

It’s called GGBeach and it’s happening on March 15th (Friday, 12 PM to 10 PM) in the USU Ballrooms.

If you could do something that could benefit the club without consequence, what would it be?

If there was one thing I would do to benefit the club without consequence, it’d be to allow high schoolers to come out to our meetings without restrictions. There’s a lot of rules in place to hold them from coming out and seeing our collegiate Esports scene and if there was a way for me to change that, I would. Having high schoolers come out is a great way to both promote our program to outsiders as well as recruit potential incoming talent for our competitive teams.

Since you’re going to be graduating soon, what are some things you’d be looking for in the next President?

I would hope that he or she is quick on their feet and organized. I cannot emphasize staying organized enough. You need to be prepared but also quick to adapt to certain situations that can and will come up. There is bound to be problems and obstacles no matter how well you plan.

So if the next President were to come to you asking for advice – such as how to balance your schoolwork and the position, what would be some tips you’d give them?

School comes first but don’t neglect the club. Be sure to allocate proper time for both and if you feel like you’re overwhelmed, take a step back for a breather. Reorganize yourself to succeed in both school and the presidency.

After graduating, where do you see the club after you leave?

I can tell the club is set up for success with a lot of room to grow. I hope to implement a lot of solid events and networks before leaving so that hopefully, the administration after me will build upon it and go even further.

Thank you for your time. Do you have any final comments?

Add me on League of Legends! The IGN, as always, is Fox Main!