More Than a Game: How Valhallan Esports Arenas Fuel Youth Growth and Creativity

The ultimate gaming destination gives young players an engaging, social, and creative boost.

If you’re a parent whose kid loves playing games like Fortnite ®, where they’re working together with friends to save the world, you may have had a firsthand look at the benefits of gaming.  

In the right hands, esports can offer a more creative, engaging, and social approach to leisure time. For young people, esports can be a vital outlet they don’t get anywhere else.  

Video games and esports are interactive, community-driven, and often creative — which is healthy and beneficial for kids in various ways. Those benefits get a boost when kids play as members of Valhallan Esports Arenas.

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Forging Friendships

Esports offer an opportunity for kids to connect with others who share similar interests and passions. And it’s becoming increasingly popular. Esports is the preferred medium of entertainment among today’s youth, and being involved in esports means taking part in their generation’s cultural touchstones.  

According to a recent report by NewZoo, an esports analytics and market research organization, 93% of Gen Z kids spend an average of nearly 15 hours per week gaming — more time than they spend on movies and television series.  

Today's most popular video game titles are designed to be played with others (whether online or in person). Top titles like Fortnite®, Apex Legends®, Valorant®, Rocket League®, and Overwatch® are all highly interactive, team-based games. This can help kids develop critical social skills such as communication, teamwork, and leadership — all of which are at the core of what we coach at Valhallan.  

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Interactive and Engaging Gameplay

Unlike passively watching TV or streaming content, video games are highly engaging.  Players are integrated into the process — activating both the brain and the body.  

Research suggests playing video games can help improve hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and decision-making skills. Esports can also help kids develop resilience, perseverance, and the ability to work towards long-term goals.  

Players are focused and stimulated for extended periods of time. And for players passionate about esports, the highly competitive nature of organized team play requires players to be focused, disciplined, and strategic. Valhallan players are coached on aspects of the game each time they play or practice with their team.  

Sound familiar? That’s because these are the same benefits touted by players and coaches of traditional team sports. Valhallan players have the same focus and drive as many kids involved in sports like basketball, football, or any other after-school activity.  

Hear from Valhallan parent Howie Kaplan, on how Valhallan has positively impacted his kid’s life:

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Empowering Creativity

Esports is a highly creative outlet. For decades, research has shown that playing video games can increase a child's creativity, imagination, and cognitive function.  

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According to NewZoo, kids today spend three times more of their time on digital creation per week than Gen X (people 41-50 years old). This means doing anything from creating digital art or music, to contributing to the community around the games they love, to live-streaming their gameplay. Valhallan members can share these personal projects safely with their teammates and other players in the Valhallan network via the closed Discord server, get feedback from peers, and continue to explore their passions.  

These creative activities can help kids develop essential skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and artistic expression — competencies that will help them thrive personally and professionally as they grow into adulthood and explore careers they’re passionate about.

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Connect, Learn, and Grow

Every parent knows that having a safe space to grow, learn, and explore is essential for their kids. And, for the first digital-native generation, much of their world exists online. Valhallan players have the unique opportunity to bridge the gap between their online and offline social interactions with other players their age — giving them a sense of community and belonging.  

At Valhallan, every player is welcomed into a community of gamers from all walks of life. Our arenas are a home-away-from-home where they can make lifelong friends with like-minded peers, boost their gaming skills and give them something to work toward, all while discovering what’s unique about them as individuals.

Interested in learning more about how Valhallan can enrich kids’ lives? Find an arena near you.

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