Cloud9, Serena Williams Team Up on Esports Coaching Initiative
The free program is aimed at coaches, parents, players and educators
Posted On: November 4, 2021 By :After offering an online summer camp last year, Cloud9 Esports will evolve its Training Grounds youth development initiative into an afterschool program in partnership with tennis great Serena Williams.
Cloud9 launched Training Grounds to nurture the next generation of players in esports. A program for middle and high schools, Training Grounds emphasizes the values of teamwork, critical thinking and sportsmanship within the context of competitive gaming. The program’s coaches deliver a curriculum centered on youth mentorship, growth and excellence, while building a fun and inclusive gaming community among its players.
In the course’s Champion’s Mindset course, Williams will detail the practices and mindset shifts that drove her to become a champion. The course also includes specific tips for using that mindset to coach young esports players.
The program will be offered in collaboration with the Positive Coaching Alliance, an organization dedicated to creating a positive youth sports culture. Cloud9 will make the program free on its website for school coaches, parents and educators to use as part of their youth development work.
“Hard work, practice and dedication are so important when you’re working to become the best and make your dreams come true, whether that be in sport or something different,” said Williams. “As an advisor on Cloud9, I am excited to team up on their Training Grounds program to help nurture these skills in students everywhere.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with Serena Williams, truly one of the greatest tennis champions of all time, to teach our coaches the best way to inspire and train aspiring young athletes,” said Samir Bolar, executive director at Training Grounds. “As we transition our Training Grounds program into schools, Serena’s ‘Champion’s Mindset’ course will be an essential coaching tool in developing young gamers that are goal-oriented, healthy, and resilient.”
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