Video Gaming Training Can Lead to College Scholarships and More
By Ron Aaron Eisenberg
For parents of adolescents and teens, esports may already be a part of their lives. But electronic gaming has taken on much more meaning than just kids playing around on their PCs.
That’s where Roger Batten and his business partner Alberto Trujillo come in. The duo purchased a Valhallan franchise “Out of our belief that video games can be a means for enriching lives and creating community for young people.” The gaming training center is located at 1432 Austin Hwy, suite 117, across from the Super Walmart.
Batten told me, “Valhallan provides premier esports programming and teaches life skills in a fun, safe, and inclusive environment. We have Fortnite, Apex, League of Legends, Valorant, Smash Brothers, and Minecraft, to name a few games in which we teach and play tournaments.”
He says the esports training facility helps kids improve at PC-based games. And he told me something about which I had no idea. Batten said, “Almost 300 colleges offer scholarships in esports.” A Google search found that the list includes several Texas colleges and Universities. Esports can lead to programming jobs for gamers, jobs designing games, and multiple other things students can do within the gaming industry.
Professional esports players compete in events that take place literally all over the world. Players vie for huge amounts of money. Indeed, Batten noted, a youngster from Round Rock, Texas, and his partner recently won 1 million dollars in the 2023 Fortnite Champion Series Global in Denmark.
Valhallan’s website states that it knows parents want their kids to do more than play video games. Kids can join a team and participate in practices, matches, and tournaments with guidance from experienced coaches and an exclusive 18-month curriculum.
Plus, Valhallan is preparing to host track-out and summer camps, parents nights out, and birthday parties – all curated to amplify the joy of gaming.
