Video games are sometimes viewed as a solo activity. For esports companies like Nerd Street, challenging that assumption is a priority, said Aaron Talasnik, the company’s EVP of commercial operations and content strategy.
“For a long time gaming was seen as isolating,” he said. “I think that it was something that you did on your own, but now, more and more, we need more safe spaces and more community spaces, and everywhere that Nerd Street can help do that is a win for everybody.”
Esports companies like Nerd Street provide facilities and events for gamers to virtually compete, in games such as Super Smash Bros, Minecraft and Fortnite.
And now, Nerd Street is expanding its Philly partnerships. It will host youth league teams at several Free Library of Philadelphia branches this fall.
It’s a great opportunity for youth, Talasnik explained.
“I see gaming as the great equalizer,” he said. “And so projects like this help us bring people together that wouldn’t be able to be together for whatever reasons exist. With you, sometimes it’s financials, sometimes it’s location, it’s access, and that’s the most important thing, bringing gaming to everybody. We mean lowering that barrier of entry, so that it can be as easy to become someone playing esports and gaming as it can be to play basketball.”
New youth opportunities
Nerd Street previously hosted esports leagues at rec centers and schools. The league this fall is allowing any youth organization in the city to join, said Ben Beaver, the organization’s head of youth and scholastic programming, and proving some structure to keep the competition fair.
“Really any youth organization — so rec centers, schools and libraries for sure — is able to register,” he said. “Once they register, they are allowed up to three teams of six players each.”
He said the partnership with The Free Library introduces a crucial in-person component to online gaming, and makes it even more accessible for many kids throughout the city.
“There’s tons of other really wonderful leagues out there that are all online,” he said. “And some of them have an end-of-season tournament. But to me, that just felt a little bit empty in the sense of I want kids to be able to come together in person so that when they win, you get to be with your team. You might have your parents there or your friends there watching, you just can’t get that experience from online play.”
The collaboration between Nerd Street and The Free Library of Philadelphia has been years in the making. The idea started, in part, from teens at the library showing an increased interest in gaming, said Rachel Hluzdzinski, the library supervisor at the Field Teen Center at Parkway Central Library.
“The library was actually gearing up to start purchasing video games to have them circulate like books in the Free Library system,” she said. “Me and a few other librarians were really pushing for that idea at the time, and it has come to fruition. You can now check out video games, like you would a book at a library, which is really exciting. But, we really wanted to have programming that would kind of complement that.”
A grant made it possible to purchase gaming equipment for the 10 participating library branches’ youth leagues, Hluzdzinski said. That money, along with Localhost Philly, a Nerd Street esports and gaming center at Broad and Callowhill streets in Center City, provided the resources to facilitate the new program.
Hluzdzinski’s library already hosts biweekly video game clubs that entice teens to come in and play. However, a structured program will expand on this and encourage weekly visits, she said.
“We find that we get a lot of teens who kind of show up to these clubs and these events, alone, just having a love for games, whether that’s a fighting game or Super Smash Brothers, or another game,” she said. “And, it’s really easy for them to meet another teen, and they instantly connect over this game that they love and that they’ve always played. And to have that connection in person is really special.”
The league
Teens participating in the league through the Free Library branches will attend weekly meetings that include practice and virtual competition from Sept. 22 to Dec. 8.
“We’re asking teens who sign up to treat this like they would any other sports team,” Hluzdzinski said. “We really want teens to be able to commit to come to weekly games, to come to practices and we want them to be able to build a team with their peers and to have some friendly competition with other teams.”
The organization will host two unique, in-person tournaments over the course of the fall. Known as local area networks, or LANs, students will gather at a participating branch and compete with all the participating youth league organizations throughout the city, Talasnik explained.
“The LAN experience is really important to highlight in the end because we want people to be together in this, in the same space,” he said.
The in-person gaming opportunities are meant to support the development of important social skills for teens as well.
“One of the things that Ben and his team do very well is teaching kids good sportsmanship, teaching kids how to interact with each other and try to build some positive reinforcements to show that gaming isn’t just about the competition,” Hluzdzinski said, “that it’s also about sportsmanship, teamwork, finding new friends, all of those social aspects that I think are really important, and helping to add to the community in that way.”
Beaver explained the fall league will be competing using the Nintendo game Super Smash Bros.
“We chose Super Smash Brothers for this first go,” he said. “It’s a Nintendo game. Nintendo is very family-friendly. It’s very intuitive. The whole point of the game is just to knock the opponent off a platform using various Nintendo characters. So anyone of any age can play this game.”
Space is limited and registration will close by Monday, September 15, Hluzdzinski said.
Teens who want to participate must be between 12 and 18 years old and have a library card. Teens who are interested in signing up must go to one of the following library branches in person. There is no online signup option.
Mondays from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Tuesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
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