Lakeland is on the verge of embracing a cutting-edge recreational initiative, catapulting its digital presence into the modern era.
Levelling up the Lakeland Esports scene with a dedicated centre
In an exciting development, Lakeland authorities have gratefully accepted a generous donation of $74,900 from MidFlorida Credit Union. This financial boost marks the commencement of a ground-breaking project: the creation of an Esports centre nestled within the historic Coleman-Bush Building, located at 1104 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
"We want to provide a safe location for our youth to learn something more than just playing video games," said Mike Marotz, the city's recreation superintendent. "We want to see our kids get offered a scholarship to college for Esports and have a signing party in the room."
The journey towards this Esports endeavour began to take shape in 2021 when Lakeland dipped its toes into the world of esports. Initial forays involved introducing Xbox consoles at Simpson Park. For the uninitiated, esports entails multiplayer video games played competitively, often with an enthusiastic audience of spectators. Popular titles in this realm include games like League of Legends, Dota 2, or Heroes of the Storm.
Recent data, meticulously compiled by our team, underscores the meteoric rise of Esports on the global stage. To put it into perspective, approximately 58 million people tuned in to watch the League of Legends championship matches. This staggering viewership eclipses traditional sporting events like MLB's World Series (with roughly 38 million viewers) and the NBA Finals (which garnered approximately 32 million viewers), according to a report from Goldman Sachs.
The impetus for this visionary project was spurred by none other than City Manager Shawn Sherrouse, who posed a challenge to Lakeland's parks, recreational, and cultural arts department. The gauntlet thrown down was to conceive something innovative and distinctive that Lakeland could offer to its community. Esports emerged as the resounding answer to this call for innovation.
With this exciting initiative, Lakeland is poised to dive headfirst into the dynamic world of Esports , providing a thrilling platform for both enthusiasts and newcomers to immerse themselves in the competitive gaming experience. Stay tuned as we embark on this exciting digital adventure, where the boundaries of recreation are redefined.
"We all came together and came up with this crazy idea," he said. "We think we've hit a home run."
The MidFlorida Credit Union Esports Center
The city is embarking on a transformative project that involves the renovation of a dedicated space within the Coleman-Bush Building, soon to be known as the "MidFlorida Credit Union Esports Center." The generous donation received will be put to excellent use, primarily for the acquisition of gaming equipment, ensuring the availability of 20 gaming stations, as well as the implementation of various user programs.
In a move that adds an exciting dimension to the facility, Lakeland is forging a partnership with the Florida Aerospace Center to incorporate two cutting-edge flight simulators. These simulators will undoubtedly elevate the Esports centre's offerings and diversify the experiences available to users.
The preliminary vision for the centre entails creating an ambiance that immerses visitors in an engaging gaming environment. Picture a dimly lit room adorned with the allure of possibly LED lighting. Prominently adorning the back wall will be a distinctive sign, proudly declaring the MidFlorida Credit Union Esports Center. Positioned at the centre of the room will be the gaming consoles, promising an inviting and dynamic setup for all who venture into this exciting space.
Innovative STEM collaborations
Lakeland is forging powerful partnerships with esteemed institutions, including Florida Polytechnic University, Florida Southern College, Keiser University, and Southeastern University, to foster a thriving STEM-focused environment within the Esports centre. In recognition of their invaluable contributions to this endeavour, the logos of these educational institutions will proudly grace the centre's walls, symbolising their collaborative commitment to the city's progress.
"Esports is a non-contact sport that doubles as an opportunity to generate pathways to modern careers," Marotz said. "Many of these future jobs are centred around the fields of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics."
The world of Esports serves as a rich source of inspiration for a multitude of career fields, as pointed out by Marotz. These fields encompass coding, data analytics, statistics, and mathematics. Engaging in esports often ignites a curiosity among students, prompting them to explore the intricate processes behind game development or employ statistical analysis to enhance individual or team performance, thereby contributing to their overall gaming experience.
The ambitious timeline for the project envisions having the newly renovated space fully operational by January 1st. Alongside this, a comprehensive slate of classes is set to be offered. The city plans to collaborate with college students and interns to develop a curriculum that imparts programming knowledge to children, shedding light on the STEM principles that underpin the world of Esports . While this curriculum is still in the developmental stages, Marotz anticipates having a general program guide ready by January.
Zelda Abram, the Chief Financial Officer of MidFlorida, expressed her company's enthusiastic support for sponsoring the Esports centre.
"We're excited it gives our community an opportunity, it gives back to kids and it gives them an opportunity to get a scholarship and attend college," she said.
She noted that MidFlorida, founded by Florida educators, readily embraced the idea due to its alignment with the promotion of STEM skills—a focus that resonates with their current hiring efforts, as they seek to fill positions that heavily rely on these skills. This sponsorship underscores the interconnectedness of the Esports realm with real-world career opportunities and underscores the importance of fostering STEM education through initiatives like the esports centre.
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