Andy Sotter has been selected as the first-ever Director of Esports at Ripon College on June 5, 2024.
Sotter's first season saw Ripon compete across a variety of titles in the Wisconsin Esports Conference, but reach their highest peaks in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. Led by freshman Ethan Arts, who earned a #8 state power ranking in the title, the team won the Northeast Regional title without dropping a set, finishing their season in the State Final.
Prior to accepting the position at Ripon, Sotter was a technology teacher at nearby Green Lake High School in the Green Lake School District. There, he mentored students and planned lessons that were standards-based, rigorous and engaging.
He served as the esports coach at Vail Mountain School in Vail, Colorado, where he was a middle school teacher from 2021-2023. In Vail, he designed curriculum for seventh and eighth grade classes, developing relationships with students throughout the entire district.
Sotter is no stranger to Central Wisconsin, previously teaching and coaching at Berlin High School from 2018-2021. Providing learning experiences for all students that centered around hands-on experience, he created the advanced course framework for the Berlin social studies department and designed seven different course curriculums. While in Berlin, he also coached volleyball for one season.
Sotter received a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Iowa in 2016, and earned a master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Denver in 2018. He holds teaching licenses in both Wisconsin and Colorado.
