(Atlanta, GA, September 25, 2023) – Australian startup Valor Esports is now partnering with NASEF to provide free skills coaching to all students playing Rocket League through the NASEF x CIF Esports Initiative, from October to December 2023. Discounted follow-up coaching will be available to schools that choose to continue. The coaching partnership will be piloted in California, and eventually a similar program will be offered to the broader NASEF community. 

A global NGO, NASEF leverages massive student interest in team-based competitive video gaming, offering meaningful career and STEAM education alongside tournaments in top game titles. Students learn about possible career pathways, enter Beyond the Game creative and analytic challenges, manage clubs and events and fundraising, and compete in tournaments in popular titles including but not limited to Rocket League, Valorant, and Minecraft, to name a few.

Sam Ward is co-founder of Valor Esports and a former high-performance junior tennis coach who has implemented sports-based training for esports into schools across Australia, the USA and the UK. “I’m thrilled at the opportunity to equip the next generation of esports competitors with the skills to create determination and resilience through focused training,” he said. “Attendance rates have skyrocketed on days that schools implemented the Valor training program in the UK, and this will make an equally meaningful impact on the lives of students across California,” Mr Ward said.

Valor’s training platform combines traditional sports skill development frameworks with online learning technology. Valor provides the resources and support tools for coaches and educators to deliver training sessions in a live environment effectively, and also provides self-paced training sessions for players to complete as skill-based homework. Valor helps schools and educational institutions globally to deliver esports training without the need for educators and coaches to be experts in every game, through the power of engaging and effective online multimedia training content. Reports provide valuable evidence of growth without the need to collect any student’s personal data.

“Esports is a powerful magnet for students, providing opportunities for meaningful  STEM/STEAM and social-emotional learning,” said Gerald Solomon, founder and executive director of NASEF. “Through this collaboration with Valor Esports, we’ll strengthen that magnet as we help students improve their game performance. Our goal is to attract more students to participate overall, extending the impact of the NASEF x CIF Esports Initiative.”

Learn more about scholastic esports at the NASEF website and the coaching program at the Valor Esports website. CIF members can sign up for the coaching program here.

About NASEF

NASEF is on a mission to provide opportunities for all students to use esports as a platform to acquire STEM/STEAM-based skills and critical communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in work and in life. NASEF operates under the umbrella of the World Wide Scholastic Esports Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta, GA. The International Esports Federation has entrusted NASEF with training and supporting its 130+ member federations as they undertake development of scholastic esports programs. Find NASEF at NASEF.org and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

About Valor Esports

Valor Esports is an online esports training platform specifically designed to enhance the skill development of esports athletes, leading to greater opportunity and success for individuals to find a career path in the ever growing esports and gaming industry. Valor’s platform combines traditional sports skill development frameworks with online learning technology to deliver engaging and effective online multimedia training content to users. Find Valor at valoresports.com and on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.

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Media Contacts:

Claire LaBeaux, [email protected]

Nick Schlobohm, [email protected]