For many creative kids, team sports are about as appetizing as asparagus. Drawn more to pixels than pop flys, they prefer digital battlegrounds to local ballfields.
It’s a trait, most parents assume, that could banish their child to a life of musty bedroom isolation.
Joe Beck intends to upend that perception completely.
The Ponte Vedra resident will soon open Valhallan Esports Training in Bartram, a new gaming venue that will bring digitally-minded kids out of their caves and into the collective thrill of team competition.
The father of two told The Citizen that his son’s staunch disinterest in sports hatched the idea.
“I think he’s allergic to sweat,” the Alabama native and IT whiz joked. “I played sports when I was a kid. But he was just never into it. He’s into the arts, anything creative.”
With his son devoting much of his free time to gaming, Beck wondered how he would be able to forge crucial skills like resiliency, sportsmanship, and competitive drive.
“You need all of these in adulthood as you enter the workforce,” he said. “I knew that if I had this concern, if I had this need for my son, then others probably do as well. There can’t just be one sphere where they get these skills.”
That’s when Beck first discovered the burgeoning Valhallan franchise. Launched by the team behind Code Ninjas, the brand believes that what parents view as a bane could actually be a benefit.
Kids who sign up at a Valhallan become members of a gaming team representing that location. Guided by coaches — mostly college kids and advanced gamers — they square off against their peers from other places across the nation.
“There is a specific curriculum,” Beck said, highlighting that the group setting routinely turns withdrawn kids into vocal, outgoing leaders. “They are with kids like them all of a sudden. They flourish. Not being into sports should not deter a kid’s confidence.”
Beck, 40, has become used to fielding skepticism from parents disillusioned with their kids’ gaming habits
“What does that look like for them?” Beck asked. “It’s their kid in their room, usually with a headset on, by himself, maybe talking to to a friend online. This is bringing them into a social environment, encouraging them to interact with others.”
Speaking like a cyber-Saban, Beck said the Valhallan model requires practices, scrimmages, and hard work. Competition between teams in games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League is fierce. There are jerseys and gamertags.
Beck said parents would do well not to keep their heads in the sand as the Esports industry explodes around them.
Top gamers make top dollar. And some colleges even offer gaming scholarships that don’t require 40-inch vertical leaps or hulking physiques.
“If they’re just doing this on their own, they aren’t leveraging all there is to gain from this world,” he said. “It’s scientifically proven that dexterity, hand eye coordination, knowledge retention all improve with gaming. Especially in a controlled environment.”
Valhallan St. Johns — the county’s only location — is set to open in mid-October.
One Response
My two son’s and I love to play all types of games together. They are 16 and 10 and would be very interested to learn more about this. Thank you.