Northern Virginia Community College and Game Gym, an esports education platform, are teaming up to create a pilot program that will provide all NOVA students with access to esports training and practice for free.
The partnership with Game Gym will provide students “an invaluable opportunity to improve their gaming skills in a structured way,” said CJ Jackson, associate director of college recreation and intramurals and esports director at NOVA. “Improved gaming means improved critical thinking, teamwork, organization, and communication skills.”
Game Gym is an online platform that provides structured practices and “workouts” that allow users to improve their gaming skills. There are hundreds of practices offered by certified coaches.
The college has an esports team, where students can compete in games such as League of Legends, Overwatch 2, Rocket League, and VALORANT. The school is part of the Mid-Atlantic Esports Conference, managed by Game Gym, that organizes collegiate esports competitions.
Other area schools in the league include American University, George Mason University, University of Delaware, and the University of Mary Washington.
“Game Gym is committed to promoting healthy and structured gaming for college students and this partnership allows us to expand our programs to tens of thousands of area students,” said Josh Hafkin, founder and CEO of the company. “By teaming up … we can continue building a thriving esports scene in the DMV.”
Students can access their free subscriptions by signing up with their student email addresses. There are also options to purchase private training sessions for a discounted rate.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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