As esports continues its march toward growth in the United States, many brands are looking to get younger people involved in this exciting new development in sport. Enter Stride, Cloud9 and LeagueSpot, who have partnered to launch a summer of free esports camps for students in the US.
Per this three-way partnership, students aged 8-18 will have access to safe and secure esports training that the brands hope will translate into real world contests.
“This partnership combines the fun, freedom, and facilitation of traditional summer camp with much-loved esports, introducing students to a trusted roster of top-ranked coaches, coding skills, and gameplay with their friends,” said Les Ottolenghi, Stride’s Chief Technology and Information Officer.
“Cloud9 and LeagueSpot are leaders in their field, and their support of Stride-powered students will take this summer’s offering to new heights.”
Among the skills taught at these events will be Minecraft Design, Scratch Coding and training in several popular esports games.
“The LeagueSpot team is thrilled to engage in this ambitious and game-changing partnership,” added Andrew Barnett, LeagueSpot CEO. “The top names in esports and education are coming together to provide unparalleled access and opportunity for students everywhere.”
For older players looking to kickstart their esports journey, Stride is also offering weekly training events in Fortnite, Smash Brothers and Rocket League.
As reported by ESPN, 125 colleges throughout the nation are offering $15m in scholarships for those studying esports.
Esports and the gambling industry have been moving ever closer in recent months, with New Jersey legalizing a number of sportsbooks that offer betting on esports tournaments.
Indeed, since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, esports betting has seen a dramatic rise, with it often replacing live sport at the height of lockdown. Recently, it emerged that for the first time in three years China’s esports betting handle had exceeded that of the United States.
