What Age Can Kids Start Playing Esports?

Get the answers to this FAQ and learn more about how Valhallan keeps kids safe online.

When it comes to video games and esports, parents often find themselves at a loss. If you’re not a gamer yourself, figuring out which games are appropriate for your child or their age group can be overwhelming. Esports are still stigmatized among some parents. Some games do have violent plot points and characters. But how do you know what to look for? And how do you know if your kid is old enough to handle it?

Valhallan is here to help guide you in the right direction. We’re an organization that was founded by gamer geeks all grown up and most of us are parents ourselves. We know the games that we’re offering inside and out. And our goal is to help kids grow both their life skills and their playing skills — so making sure they’re playing safely and responsibly is paramount.

Let’s Break it Down

For kids around age 12, a game like Valorant may be a great fit. Admittedly, it contains mild violence, but certainly not more so than the typical Marvel movie. The players use weapons to subdue cartoonish antagonists – not unlike the plotlines of Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings.

Other games, like Apex Legends, have more humanoid villains, and may not be in keeping with your family values.

Like in any aspect of parenting, it is up to the parents of each individual child to determine what’s appropriate for them. But how can you guide your kid if you’re not into esports yourself?

Enter the Experts

That’s where Valhallan comes in. Enrolling your kid in Valhallan esports training opens the door for your kid to explore the world of esports safely. Our coaches and experts can teach both you and your kid about the titles we offer, help you choose a game, and get started off on the right foot by surrounding your child with a team of their peers.

How to Get Started

Each Valhallan player goes through an assessment — a tryout of sorts. They’ll play on a program that tests for reaction times and accuracy. Then, they’re put on a team and embark on The Legendary Path.

The Legendary Path is Valhallan’s proprietary curriculum designed to guide kids ages 8 to 17 through learning, playing, and mastering video games. Our mission is about more than getting kids to excel in playing esports, but also to build up their character and social skills — essential elements to their personal growth at this key age. Read more about how both kids and parents win with Valhallan here.

‍

Keeping Kids Safe

One of the most important skills players need to be successful in esports is learning and practicing communication with their team. Discord — an app for text chatting, video and voice calls – is frequently used for communication in the world of gaming and esports.

Unfortunately,  some of the content on public Discord servers can be inappropriate for kids and is largely unmoderated.  That’s why Valhallan has established its own closed Discord servers, accessible only to players within the Valhallan system. Meaning, your kid will only interact with other Valhallan players – all of whom are age-appropriate and are bound by our Code of Conduct.

Parents can feel confident that their kids can safely log in, chat, and turn on their cameras because the server is monitored by coaches and Valhallan officials.

Like-Minded Kids

If you’ve ever been on a team — whether you’re winning or losing – you know there’s nothing better  than feeling connected to a group of people with a common goal. Valhallan seeks to give that feeling to every single Valhallan player. Our dream is for each Valhallan arena to be a gathering place for young people — not just to play games — but to truly be themselves.  

The Answer You’re Looking For

The short answer is, if your kid can play, they’re not too young to play certain titles. At Valhallan, kids can start competitive play at age 8. That’s the age that kids are generally able to grasp the game and team concepts in a meaningful way.

Pro esports players on average are just 22 years of age. It’s a young sport. In traditional sports, kids as young as 5 start playing soccer, football, basketball, and t-ball. The average age of those pro sports players is much older than 22. It stands to reason that aspiring pro esports players should start practicing early too.

So what if you don’t go pro? That doesn’t have to be the end of esports for your kid – there are many other ways to get involved. And these days, more and more colleges are offering scholarships to esports players. Our newly acquired league, UFEA, is an organization for high-school-aged students that focuses intently on helping players find a pathway to playing esports in college.

So if your kid is at all interested in playing esports, Valhallan is the best way to encourage your kids to follow their passions while building character and keeping them safe.

Keep up with what we’re building. Follow us on social media. Links Below.

‍