As children approach and progress into adolescence, it’s natural for them to want more independence and less oversight. Guidance and rules from adults start to feel overbearing, constraining, and just flat out “uncool.” This happens in countless different circumstances, from parenting to education to athletics and everything in between. Unfortunately, this sentiment extends into the online world as well.
Even before the meteoric rise in popularity of esports leagues, video games were still a popular pastime for youth looking to escape adult supervision. But, as online gaming leagues and social platforms like Twitch continue to pave the pathway for instant communication with other players, the lack of oversight is becoming harmful. People of all ages, from children to adults, are now able to play and converse with one another in anonymous settings where toxic behavior is a prominent issue.
As children’s esports leagues continue to dominate the digital space, it’s critical that parents, teachers, and industry enthusiasts take steps to create a healthy developmental environment for young players. That’s where youth esports coaching comes into play. These experienced industry pros have the expertise and knowledge to help youth develop their gaming and tech skills while providing a safe place to collaborate.
Creating Capable Leaders through Youth Esports Coaching
The last year and a half has shown us that digital performance and communication are incredibly important to society in the tech era. Massive sums of money are being spent on improving the remote capabilities of enterprise organizations. Members of the esports community are poised to take prominent roles in the leadership structure of the 21st-century company.
Professional opportunities are also ,growing steadily within the esports industry itself. Many of the core and related industries to the gaming phenomenon are applicable elsewhere — from broadcast journalism to marketing and public relations to project management. Much more than just a hobby or pastime, video games are now a powerful tool for creating and training the next generation of capable leaders.
Through skill development, leadership training, and online collaboration, esports coaching is a powerful tool for developing the necessary talent for success in our digital age.
Developmental Skills
Whether it’s in sports, business, or any other competitive environment, coaching is a crucial component of personal development. In the current climate of digital communication and remote living, esports coaching makes another important addition to that list. Youth coaching in esports helps kids develop their cognitive, social, and leadership skills, while also giving them the opportunity to apply them in virtual environments similar to the ones they’ll navigate as adults.
Cognitive
Experts across psychology and neuroscience find that the complex, task-oriented design of many video games is beneficial for cognitive development. The strategic, quick decision-making necessary for success in Rocket League leagues and other gaming environments helps kids ,develop cognitive abilities like visual acuity, mental flexibility, focus, and other executive functions.
Social
Stereotypes of the “antisocial gamer” are simply not true anymore. Esports enthusiasts and competitive gamers are usually involved in team competitions like Rocket League leagues or other interactive pursuits like League of Legends programs. In these cases, clear, synchronous communication is ,critical to achieving success. Gamers who are able to form strong team bonds and communicate efficiently under pressure are often the ones who come out on top.
As they continue to progress in the esports world, team players with the right coaching are also building up highly marketable skills applicable across many different professional environments. For those kids that excel due to youth coaching in esports, they also build the leadership skills necessary to lead peer groups in entirely remote settings, including group problem solving, conflict reduction, and even mentorship.
DEI Practices
As digitization continues to shift the world towards global connection, embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion is an essential value. ,DEI practices are all about acknowledging the diverse global gamer and encouraging an esports landscape that is free of judgment and harassment. Creating gaming leagues according to skill-based equity is another important practice that will improve diversity and inclusion in the online space.
One of the major strides being made to improve diversity in esports leagues is championing ,female gamers and other industry representatives in the coaching and journalism space. These advocates help highlight the nature of toxic behavior in the online world and have real experience and insight into dealing with these issues.
Digital Social Network
Esports collaboration knows no bounds. Today, youth and other future leaders can establish connections with their counterparts around the world, establishing a strong digital network of peers. As platforms like LinkedIn have shown, social networking is an important component of professional success. Unlike the current generations that have had to acclimate themselves to this concept, it’s second nature to young gamers and esports participants.
The future of 21st-century com
merce is embracing digitization, and esports enthusiasts and industry members are perfectly positioned to build their digital social networks by applying the principles of online conduct that they learn from youth coaching in esports.
Finding Children’s Esports Leagues and Structured Coaching
By now, you’re well aware of how esports coaching and participation can help your child, student, or community member on their journey to successful development. Now it’s just a matter of separating the wheat from the chaff. At Vanta Leagues, we make that decision much easier for you.
Unlike other companies that offer gaming leagues and coaching to players across all demographics, Vanta specializes in the training and development of children in the 9-14 age range. We prioritize creating a safe, secure children’s esports league with vetted coaches. If you want to learn more about our COPPA-compliant leagues and youth coaching in esports, ,reach out to the team today!