EL CENTRO — Unified Esports League (UESL) is working to create a safe environment for children and adults aged 8+ with intellectual and developmental disabilities to develop social and emotional skills through gaming and technology. This includes esports, which have been proven to be a powerful tool in helping develop communication skills, teamwork, strategic thinking, problem-solving, how to handle a win or lose situation, and more.

“In the modern day, video games and technology serve as the current setting that we are able to help people grow through alongside their passion,” UESL founder and CEO Matthew Iske told the Imperial Valley Press. “We promote significant life skills within our clients.”

UESL, a non-profit vendor of the San Diego Regional Center, has eight locations either operating or preparing to open throughout San Diego County. The rapidly growing program is open year-round and is actively working to expand to more cities. Each location supports 12-18 individuals per day, adding up to 30-40 families per site.

According to UESL’s website, the project is coming to El Centro soon at Booker T. Washington Elementary School’s Unified Gaming and Technology Center at 223 S. First Street, El Centro, CA 92243. The program is currently open for enrollment, the website reads. To reserve a spot, those interested can enter https://www.unifiedesl.com/contact.

“At the moment we’re open for enrollment, but the program has not formally started. We have to hit a certain number of client enrollments before services can begin, so I believe that’s the phase we’re in at the moment,” a UESL representative explained in a message to IVP. “We’re looking for more interested members to kickstart the program as well as spread the word!”

Clients work in a 1:3 ratio with a designated coach throughout the program. In a written plan and concept developed by UESL, known as the Individualized Technology Education Plan, clients also go through a weekly assessment reviewing areas where they feel they may need improvement.

“Supported by their coaches, clients are better suited to accepting change—from winning and losing games, working in teams, and gaining new experiences,” Iske told the press. “We practice growth in these areas with safe, coach-monitored games such as Overcooked, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate drone-flying simulators and even immersive VR games.”

The program also promotes healthy habits during gaming, as the clients participate in a gamer workout each day. UESL also reinforces physical health while partaking in game play, including posture, hand-eye coordination, and the ability to recognize when one’s body is asking for a break. The program also has regular discussions and presentations about healthy food.

“A healthy body leads to a healthy mind and thus creates an individual who is ready to explore the world of gaming and what that means for their own growth,” said Iske.

Not only does the program lend a helping hand to families struggling to find nearby special needs resources, but it also provides an opportunity for caretakers to take a break knowing whoever they’re looking after is safe and learning.

Silver Creek senior Benjamin Layton is pictured at the Empire State Scholastic Esports Federation Championships at Syracuse University.
Submitted Photo

SILVER CREEK — On June 7, students from across New York state gathered for the largest high school esports competition in the state at the Syracuse University Esports Lab for the Empire State Scholastic Esports Federation Championships.

Competitors battled in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (solos and trios), Valorant and Rocket League.

Representing Silver Creek High School, senior Benjamin Layton qualified for Super Smash Bros Ultimate Solos semifinals, where he faced Peyton Gray of Bethlehem Central High School. The competition atmosphere was electric with professional-grade gaming chairs, massive screens, and LED lights created an unforgettable environment, with the Silver Creek Esports logo proudly lit up on the digital banner.

Layton’s match was broadcast live nationwide and drew cheers as he took the stage. Though nerves got the best of him in the first round, he rallied in round two with an impressive spike. Each round was a hard-fought battle, but ultimately, Layton fell in three rounds to his skilled opponent.

When asked about his experience, Layton said, “It was a surreal moment, and I was thrilled to play the game I love in front of a large crowd. The elite setup at Syracuse made me feel like I had truly made it.”

Even in defeat, Layton made the most of his time by connecting with some of the top figures in the esports community, laying the groundwork for future opportunities in this rapidly growing field. Coach Anthony DiGennaro expressed gratitude for Layton’s opportunities.

“We are so proud of Ben and all of his accomplishments and would like to thank Syracuse University for hosting this amazing event. We are thankful for this opportunity and look forward to seeing this program grow across the state,” DiGennaro said.

Ben plans to attend SUNY Canton in the fall, majoring in esports business management and plans on playing for Canton’s esports team.

“We are incredibly proud of Ben for representing our school with talent, poise, and professionalism on the state’s biggest stage,” Coach Josh Sadler said.

Schools interested in participating in esports are asked to reach out to Sadler at jsadler@silvercreekschools.org.

Several hundred people packed the Cactus Shadows High School Fine Arts Center Monday, May 12, to cheer on more than 100 third- through 12th-grade students who were recognized for their outstanding achievements in visual arts during the Sonoran Arts League’s 29th annual Celebration of Art and the 45th Jeff Cross Memorial.

The event included students from seven CCUSD elementary, middle and high schools as well as students from Annunciation Catholic School and Quality Interactive Montessori.

Students were recognized by their teachers on stage and each student received a gift bag of art supplies provided by the Sonoran Arts League to nurture their creative spirit over the summer.

In addition, $6,000 total in scholarships were awarded to three students to help them on their artistic journey.

Bronze Bell Award winner

The awards ceremony culminated with the presentation of the prestigious 45th annual Jeff Cross Bronze Bell Award.

Cactus Shadows High School student Ella Miller of North Scottsdale was called to the stage and presented with the bell and given accolades for her acrylic, oil pastel and Indian ink paintings and drawings.

Miller, 18, moved to Arizona from Maryland with her family three years ago. She said it was a big honor to receive the prestigious award.

“When we moved here, the community was welcoming, and I enjoyed meeting so many others who were passionate about art,” Miller said. “I was honored to be nominated this year, and I felt so happy and grateful to be recognized for my artwork.”

Miller credits her family with inspiring her to pursue her passion for art as well as teachers from school.

“My mother is very creative, and art has always been a part of my life. I am also grateful to my art teacher, Dana Parsons, for her support and guidance,” she said.

In late 2024, Miller planned and created a colorful mural for the Sonoran Arts League at their Stagecoach Village studio as part of a project to earn her Eagle Scout badge.

She is looking forward to starting her freshman year as a Barrett Honors student at Arizona State University in August where she will major in Digital Animation.

“I have a much better appreciation for how technical digital animation is, but I enjoy the challenge of problem solving, and my goal with storytelling is to create something super spectacular,” she said. “My dream is to direct my own film or to contribute content to some of the best animation companies, such as Pixar, DreamWorks or work on gaming projects.”

Cross was a bronze artist and a founding member of the Cave Creek Craft Council, which later became the Sonoran Arts League.

The Celebration of Art awards ceremony is sponsored by the Sonoran Arts League, Cave Creek Unified School District’s Educational Community Service, Steve and Lori Greenberg and the Kiwanis Club of Carefree.

To learn more, visit  sonoranartsleague.org or call 480-575-6624.

FIFA Rivals launched across iOS and Android on Thursday, and developer Mythical Games believes that the mobile blockchain game could make a massively larger impact than its earlier American football game, NFL Rivals.

The licensed mobile soccer game is rolling out with a multi-year licensing agreement with giant sportswear brand Adidas. As a result, the game will feature Adidas-sponsored athletes, including Lionel Messi—widely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time—along with collectible, tradable gear.

John Linden, co-founder and CEO of Mythical Games, told Decrypt that announcing the game was an eye-opening experience, as the studio felt the full force of soccer’s (or football’s) international popularity. Major brands, athletes, football organizations, and even the government of a small country have reached out to get involved in the game, he said.

“The affinity to football is just so much greater than anything I think I’ve ever understood,” Linden explained. “The addressable market of football worldwide is a little over half of the world’s population—roughly five billion consumers around the world—so it’s a big market for us.”

Mythical Games launched NFL Rivals two years ago, which it defines as a success with over seven million players to date. But Linden believes that FIFA Rivals could be 20 times bigger. This figure comes from his comparison of existing soccer games to American football games.

It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but the PC version of top soccer game EA FC 25 had 108,534 concurrent players at its all-time peak in January, according to Steam Charts. When compared to Madden NFL 25’s high of 5,905 in December, the sheer size of soccer is apparent—18 times bigger, to be precise.

And a free-to-play mobile game like FIFA Rivals is bound to reach a much wider audience, including casual players. For example, EA FC Mobile has racked up more than 500 million downloads on Android alone, not counting the iOS audience. That potential reach has propelled partnership interest around FIFA Rivals, Linden said.

“We’re getting hit up on a very global basis. We’re seeing interest from countries that are normally overlooked by game developers, just because it’s not necessarily a top 10 market,” Linden told Decrypt. “I won’t mention the country yet, but [the governing body] reached out, and said: Look, we have to partner with you, because this game will be massive in our country.”

Mythical Games added that Adidas is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of brand partnerships. Linden said there has been interest in groups that the studio has never worked with before, such as telecom firms.

The blockchain gaming studio undoubtedly hopes for such success, having signed a contract with FIFA that will run through “multiple sets of World Cups”—the quadrennial soccer tournament that next returns in 2026.

FIFA recently announced that it will migrate its NFT collectibles platform FIFA Collect to its own Avalanche L1 blockchain, departing Algorand in the process. FIFA Rivals, meanwhile, is built on the Mythos chain, a Polkadot-based gaming network that was spearheaded by Mythical Games.

Linden added that FIFA has reached out to Mythical Games to try to “make some things happen” on FIFA’s Avalanche L1. 

Lessons from the field

Through two years of supporting NFL Rivals, Linden said the studio has learned how to balance its “living economy,” which allows players to freely trade in-game players like Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The challenge was figuring out how to make assets for new seasons feel valuable without crashing the price of old ones. 

Now, as NFL Rivals enters the third season in August, Mythical Games is “doubling, tripling down” on the product now that it is well past the economic experimentation phase. 

“We’re going to be adding a lot more marketing now that we’re very confident in what works and what doesn’t,” Linden told Decrypt. “We’re going [to add] a lot more quality—a lot more focus on PvP, where you’ll see brand new animation models, you’ll see brand new characters, and you’re gonna see brand new stadiums.”

From this experience, Mythical Games has taken a number of learnings into the launch of FIFA Rivals. Considering that the average European spends less money on gaming than the average American, the soccer gaming economy has shifted to be driven more by skill.

Later this year, FIFA Rivals is expected to introduce an “AI sports agent” that will “guide [players] through their journey.” Plus, Linden said there will be a barrage of esports competitions, club collaborations, and new game modes added.

Edited by Andrew Hayward

HUTCHINSON

— Come the fall semester, Ridgewater College in Hutchinson will have another club team, but this time operating in the digital world.

Ridgewater is launching an esports club to “give students the opportunity to join competitive gaming teams, participate in tournaments and develop skills in game strategy, teamwork, and digital media in a newly created gaming lounge,” according to a news release from the two-year college.

Esports will run as a “club sport,” similar to Ridgewater’s clay target teams. The only eligibility requirement is to be enrolled as a part- or full-time student at Ridgewater. All experience levels are invited to participate.

Ridgewater Dean of Students Heidi Olson proposed the program in 2024 to expand student life opportunities for students on the Hutchinson campus. The Hutchinson campus does not have a gymnasium like the Willmar campus, and thus doesn’t host sports such as volleyball, basketball and wrestling.

“This is an activity that has grown in recent years,” Olson said in the release. This school year, more than 100 Minnesota high schools and 2,000 Minnesota high school students participated in esports clubs and teams.

“We hope that allowing high school students to continue to compete at the college level will offer them a next step for making connections and taking on challenges in a fun way while training for careers at Ridgewater College,” she said.

Nondestructive Testing Technology instructor Sheldon Mackinnon has been hired to coach and launch the new program.

“Games are great at stimulating our critical thinking by having us make split-second decisions that can win or lose you the game,” Mackinnon said.

He will share his love of and enthusiasm for gaming with students.

“When we fail, we rethink, we strategize and we try and try again until we win,” Mackinnon said. “The video games I played while growing up have shaped who I am today.”

Follow the development of the Ridgewater esports club on the Ridgewater Warrior Athletics website at

www.ridgewaterathletics.com.