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ATLANTA – Oct 6, 2022 – It is with great pleasure that Soccer in the Streets would like to announce our new partnership with Ghost Gaming and Skillshot Media as our official esports partners.
The esports market is a massive, rapidly growing industry, and Atlanta is very much an emerging gaming hub, thanks in no small part to the success of Skillshot and the Ghost Gaming team. Founder Todd Harris is a longer-term Atlantan, and this partnership originated with him and his passion for spreading the word of what he calls “Gaming for Good.”
“Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming deliver esports in a way that transforms screentime into personal and skill development for young people. My first experience with gaming was playing in the arcade with my father (a programmer at IBM) and then learning to use the PC he brought home. With access to that computer and a role model in programming, I learned to code and started developing video games myself. So for me, gaming has always been about that social connection with a significant person in my life and the development of skills such as coding or graphic design that can lead to a great career. Not every young person has access to such technology or instruction today. Skillshot and Ghost Gaming are proud to work with partners like Soccer in the Streets to help deliver this “gaming for good” approach to more kids around Metro Atlanta.” - Todd Harris
Soccer in the Streets is a legacy youth sports nonprofit, and this foray into esports is uncharted territory. We are excited for this new opportunity to reach more kids. Our fields of play are quite different, but we are very aligned in our shared belief in social-emotional learning for the youth of Atlanta. Given the increasing complexity of our culture, both on and offline, this generation needs more tools and resilience to approach the challenges of their time. And the need for such has only increased as a result of the pandemic.
“The team at Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming, strive for excellence in their craft and throughout their community. We have an incredible opportunity for our kids to be exposed to the growing world of gaming and the pathways for careers within the industry. I am so excited for this partnership and its impact on both our kids and the Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming teams.” - Chelsea Wood
With the able leadership of our Director of Leadership and Outcomes, Chelsea Wood, Soccer in the Streets will be offering soccer training and other physical activities to Ghost Gaming athletes, and Skillshot and Ghost Gaming will provide our youth soccer athletes opportunities to engage with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) skill-development and career awareness within their state of the art gaming studios. The kids will also receive a bit of exposure to the production side of esports and pathways for inspiring young players about the many career options in gaming and technology.
CONTACT: David Hopings (SITS), 404.594.9547, david@soccerstreets.com
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta is excited to debut esports programming in partnership with esports solution provider Skillshot Media and professional esports team Ghost Gaming.
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta esports program will kick off this April and May with youth and teen tournaments in Rocket League. Rocket League was chosen as the initial game because the content is appropriate for all ages, it’s free and accessible across multiple hardware platforms and includes elements of teamwork and cooperation in gameplay. Registration for spring tournaments is open for YMCA members and nonmembers who are ages 8 to 18-years-old.
“We’re excited to augment our traditional youth offerings with esports,” said Jill Moore, group vice president of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta. “We identified Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming as perfect partners based on their esports experience and their vision of esports for skill development, fun, friendly competition and physical fitness. Play begins this spring with a virtual program, and we plan to expand to in-person play by fall.”
Ghost Gaming, a global gaming organization based in Atlanta, has a top professional Rocket League team which includes a general manager and coach. Ghost has been designated as the official Esports Team Partner of YMCA of Metro Atlanta and will consult on player development as the Y Atlanta program expands in scope.
Skillshot Media is providing esports solution services including assisting with parent education sessions about the benefits of competitive gaming.
“The Y is such a trusted brand in child development,” said Todd Harris, CEO of Skillshot Media. “We’re thrilled they are embracing esports and are humbled to partner with them to deliver competitive gaming in a way that nurtures the potential of children and teens while delivering confidence and connection.”
Parents interested in learning more about esports and the YMCA of Metro Atlanta spring tournaments can attend parent information meetings on Tuesday, April 19 at 7 pm ET and Tuesday, May 10 at 7 pm ET via Zoom sessions.
To register for spring tournaments, click here.
Here's an overview of the broad esports ecosystem and assets we have developed in Metro Atlanta thanks to decades of industry, partner, policy, and community support!
Professional Esports Teams?
Too many initiatives to list but a few illustrative examples include:
Annual live gaming events include:
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) concluded their spring seasons this past weekend via a three-day event hosted and broadcasted by Skillshot Media in partnership with Twitch Student. Additional support was provided by partners Microsoft, HyperX, eHire, and Queens Gaming Collective.
Competition was hosted across six different game titles for the event: Madden, FIFA, Rocket League, Hearthstone, CSGO, and Fortnite. With the help of host Lauren “GlitterXplosion” Laracuente, accompanied by casters Trevor “ConfusedCaribou” McNeal, Troy “Pibbbcasts” Welling, Devin “PiraTechnics” Younge, and Tadhg “CelticTigerLoL” Brennan, the NACE and NASEF competition was broadcast via Twitch with a combined total of over 474,000 views.
“Our first-ever Scholastic Esports Championship had over 470,000 live-views across three days of broadcast in partnership with Twitch," said Todd Harris, CEO of Skillshot Media, "We were honored to shine a spotlight on top student competitors and the organizations NASEF and NACE as they advance scholastic esports and prioritize student wellbeing and outcomes"
The 2021 NACE National Championships were held on April 24 and April 25. The spring season started with 277 teams, competing across five different game titles. NACE competition was hosted entirely online this academic year due to the unique challenges the COVID-19 pandemic presented. The NACE National Champions and Spring Cup Winners are listed below:
The three teams listed below also received cash prizes for their respective rankings in the final Fortnite Spring Cup match:
“The 2020-2021 academic year presented a unique challenge for NACE, resulting in a completely online finals competition, the second of which hosted this year,” said Michael Brooks, Executive Director of NACE, “Despite these challenges, the number of esports fielded within NACE more than doubled from the previous year. The impressive results from these finals speaks to the herculean efforts of our members, students and partners. NACE is set up for even more growth in the professionalization of the collegiate esports space.”
The previous Friday, NASEF teams battled it out in the Madden PS4 and Xb1 Championships, the Rocket League Semi-Finals, and the Rocket League Championships. Initially, NASEF’s spring competition included 245 participating teams—192 in Rocket League and 53 in Madden. The NASEF Champions are listed below:
“The Scholastic Esports Championship allows the thousands of students participating in NASEF clubs to gain insight into college scholarships, and pathways to higher education and employment,” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF.
Thanks all of the 2021 spring season participants for their hard work and dedication. All of the VODs from the National Championships and Fortnite Spring Cup are available at skillshot.tv.
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(Atlanta, GA – April 22, 2021) – The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), and Skillshot Media will host and broadcast the spring Scholastic Esports Championship between Friday, April 23 and Sunday, April 25, 2021.
“We are thrilled that this event is the first integration of high school and collegiate esports nationally,” said Todd Harris, founder and CEO of Skillshot Media. “We are appreciative of the participation from NACE universities, NASEF high schools, multiple game publishers, and many partners. Beyond showcasing competition across six game titles and three hardware platforms we are emphasizing student education and skill development throughout the event, truly combining playing with learning.”
All competitions and programming will be broadcast in partnership with Twitch Student on twitch.tv/skillshot per the schedule below:
Friday April 23 at 5pm ET: NASEF (High School)
Saturday April 24 at 5pm ET: NACE (Collegiate Day 1)
Saturday April 24 at 5pm ET: NACE (Collegiate Day 1)
HyperX is supporting the event by awarding a Cloud series gaming headset to every winning player and team.
“We began the spring season with 227 registered university teams, and it all comes down to this weekend,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of NACE. “The finals will be fiercely contested and we are excited that college coaches can also get a view into up and coming high school talent via this combined event.”
During breaks in the competition, event sponsor eHire and other partners will provide video tips to viewers around securing a job inside and outside of the massive gaming industry.
“The NASEF approach uses esports to build life and career skills,” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF. “Events like the Scholastic Esports Championship allow the thousands of high schoolers participating in NASEF clubs to gain insight into college scholarships, and pathways to higher education and employment.”
Added Christie St. Martin from Queens Collective, “At Queens, our goal is to democratize access to gaming and economic opportunity for women worldwide. We are proud to support the Scholastic Esports Championship and their message of inclusive competition and game-based education for upward mobility.”
Media Contacts:
Skillshot, hi@skillshot.com
Emily Cox, ecox@NACEsports.org
Claire LaBeaux, claire@NASEF.org
Skillshot Media, Gamers.Vote, and esports organization Ghost Gaming today announced InvitationATL—a virtual event on July 21 focused on voter registration and including a $10,000 online invitational Fortnite tournament.
“Our mission in July is to get as many gamers registered as new voters as possible” said Gamers.Vote CEO, Christie St. Martin, “With InvitationATL, Skillshot Media and the Atlanta esports community have embraced this mission with an incredible tentpole event featuring top icons from esports, traditional sports, and music.”
InvitationATL will be produced by Skillshot, presented by Gamers.Vote and Ghost Gaming, with additional supporting partners including Twitch, HyperX, Atlanta Reign, Axis Replay, New Georgia Project, Greenberg Traurig, UnitedInGaming, Radar Live, and others to be announced.
“We’re thrilled to work with Gamers.Vote and top Fortnite players and streamers on InvitationATL,” said Todd Harris of Skillshot Media. “Gaming reaches 133 million US adults. With this event, we hope to support awareness and direct voter registration among the massive gaming audience.”
Twitch.TV is supporting the activation with a custom platform extension that directs participants and viewers to online voter registration in 39 states. InvitationATL partners New Georgia Project and venue Axis Replay will support onsite voter registration on the Atlanta beltline.
“We should take a lesson from gamers right now,” said Nse’ Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project. “We are honored to be a part of the gaming community’s connection—a bold example for uniting through civic engagement and voting.”
The online Fortnite tournament will include top streamers and icons committed to helping their communities register to vote, with $10,000 being awarded to the winning teams in the Fortnite competition.
Details on how to participate and watch the July 21 InvitationATL will be posted to www.iatl.gg
About GAMERS.VOTE
Gamers.Vote is a broad coalition of the best gamers, game companies, platforms, and streamers in the world. We ARE gamers and we know the power of focusing the gaming community on voter registration and voting. More information and free streaming, partner, and social kits can be found on our website. Join the movement: www.gamers.vote
About GHOST GAMING
Ghost Gaming is an Atlanta-based organization focused on cultivating and facilitating the best talent in gaming, design and content creation by providing a platform to create unique partnerships in sports, music, entertainment, fashion and tech. We have built a social media community with millions of fans and followers, becoming one of the most popular names in gaming, www.ghostgaming.com
During Super Bowl LIV weekend, the Skillshot team went down to Miami to open up the latest 8 to 80 Zone in partnership with NFL Hall of Famers Steve Young and Jerry Rice, and the Forever Young Foundation. This esports and STEM center will provide underprivileged kids with access to essential technology to help them grow into the tech leaders of the future.
“Jerry and I believe that parents of youth who are passionate about gaming should take time to understand the learning potential and opportunities that esports brings,” said Steve Young. “Gaming and the competitive esports world provides a stepping stone into coding, publishing, and mass media art. We as parents should embrace this.”
Many thanks to KontrolFreek, Alienware, SteelSeries, and Rocket League for providing gear to support the grand opening. It took a community of partners and organizations working together to make this center a reality. We're excited to see how it will serve the community for years to come.
This article was contributed by JBatchelder , a freelance writer. If you’d like to contribute to the Skillshot blog, please DM Skillshot Media on Twitter.
Do you remember what you were doing when you were 16? It wouldn't be far-fetched to assume you were playing video games on your friend's couch. That isn't too different from what 16-year-old Kyle Giersdorf was doing on July 28, 2019 after he won the Fortnite World Cup solo finals in New York . . . except that he got paid $3 million for it.
It's no secret that esports is huge. The International: DOTA 2 Championship alone draws crowds of over 335 million worldwide, all tuning in to watch teams play for a prize pool of $25.5 million — the largest in esports history. With esports set to get even bigger, it's safe to say that more and more people are gunning to be the best in the world. To get a beat on where the next great esports athletes will come from, let's check out the continents that are experiencing the most growth in esports.
Today, esports is an entire branch of entertainment in the United States. Fornite streamers such as Ninja have drawn in a record-breaking 600,000 concurrent viewers on their gaming streams. To add to this, ESPN debuted their collegiate video game esports championship back in March 2019 — cementing its place in the American mainstream. Here in Georgia, esports' foundations are being strengthened from the ground up as Georgia is one of only five states to recognize esports as a sport on the high school level. The University of Georgia, meanwhile, offers scholarships to esports teams. Three years ago, international gaming festival DreamHack added Atlanta as a city and has experienced record growth since year over year.
Further up north, Canada is set to open the country's first dedicated esports stadium in Richmond, British Columbia. Once open, it will be the hub for major esports events in Canada and will play host to various tournaments. The stadium will reportedly seat around 250 spectators and will allow for 40 gaming set-ups along with a casual gaming area open to all.
Although Asia is known for gaming capitals like South Korea and Japan, China is not too far behind. China listed esports as an official sport in 2003 and declared it a national industry back in 2016. Companies such as the Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings have both set up venues all over China that host esports tournaments, some even on a weekly basis. To cap it off, esports will be an official medal sport at the 2022 Asian Games in China.
The Philippines is also a notable up-and-comer in the esports industry.
"Filipino e-gamers have tremendous talent and potential to conquer the global gaming arena," explains industry supporter and former Philippine senator Senator Bam Aquino.
Since August 2017, esports has been further legitimized by the Gaming and Amusements Board of the Philippines, even going as far as adding five esports games into the 2019 iteration of the Southeast Asian Games. The country also hosted the Manila Major back in 2016 — a sign of good things to come for the Philippine esports industry.
The Dubai X-Stadium is set to be a dedicated video gaming venue for the rapidly growing esports industry in the Middle East, hopefully positioning it as a future capital for hosting esports events.
"We are living in a world where digital culture is reshaping all aspects of life, including sports," says Mona Ghanem Al Marri, director-general of the Dubai Media Office. "This has led us to develop the concept of Dubai X-Stadium, which will consolidate Dubai's status as a key digital economy hub."
The government's adamant support in the growth of the industry only ensures the future of esports in the Middle East.
MBC, or the Middle East Broadcasting Center based in Dubai, recently announced that it would be setting up the Middle East’s first professional esports league in partnership with the Electronic Sports League. The country is also playing host to the world finals of the Girl Gamer Esports Festival in December — an impressive feat and a step towards inclusivity.
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The rise of esports on a global level is indicative of the development of how we perceive sports and entertainment, and how the term athlete no longer only refers to those who play on a pitch, court, or field. And while many people have different opinions about esports, there's no denying its inevitable rise — with Statista predicting that the industry will hit $1.790 billion by 2022.
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