The Saturday program will be the first XP League in Florida and feature games such as Fortnight, Overwatch and Valorant.
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WELLINGTON — A new esports league for gamers ages 8 to 17 to complete playing Fortnite, League Legends and Valorant is coming to Wellington.
It will be the first Florida location for the XP League, a national esports league.
“You can imagine your child playing in a soccer or baseball academy,” said Jennifer Vilela, who founded the Wellington franchise. “But it’s the Little League for gaming.”
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Vilela partnered with the village to launch the program that aims to create a safe environment for youthful gaming enthusiasts that focuses on building social skills and sportsmanship.
The league will be held at Village Park along Pierson Road. It will start Nov. 28 and run into February. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Games offered at the league include:
- Apex Legends
- League Legends
- Fortnite
- Overwatch
- Rocket League
- Valorant
The village has offered esports programs in the past, but the coronavirus pandemic required the play to be virtual. In the XP League, players will compete in person.
Esports are part of Vilela’s family life. The Wellington-area Realtor is a single mother of four boys, and her son Jake — known as BullyWYD — is a professional Fortnite player. She also sits on the advisory board for the Coalition for Parents in esports, also known as COPE.
The program has an eight-week season with players receiving a pro-level experience with certified coaches and top-level computers and gaming equipment. The coaches teach children strategies for each game and also how to play online as a team to compete with other leagues.
Vilela says the children will meet each week to play in person. Every session starts with a warmup for the hands and wrists, followed by a talk from coaches on team-building.
“We teach them how be game players,” Viela said. “During the pandemic they’ve been in their room playing alone for two years.”
Every Saturday, she said, they have a match. At the end of the season, they have the opportunity to play in the national competition.
The best thing about the league, Vilela said, is that it’s all-inclusive. It allows for children who aren’t attracted to physical sports or live with a disability to join in the fun of team sports.
“That’s why I said I have to bring it to my community,” Vilela said. “It’s a place to have fun, but we are competitive as well.”
For a free skill assessment and find more information about the league, go online to wellington.xpl.gg.
Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB.