SAGINAW, MI – Teens looking to sharpen their gaming skills while developing teamwork and digital literacy can look forward to a new esports league launching this year through the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region.
The program will introduce competitive gaming opportunities for teen members, supported by newly installed state-of-the-art computer labs across Saginaw and Bay counties. These digital literacy labs, made possible by contributions from Hemlock Semiconductor, the AT&T Foundation, and SC Johnson, will provide valuable resources for a range of educational and career-focused initiatives.
The esports program will debut with a pilot at the Saginaw Teen Center’s after-school program before expanding regionally this summer. Participants will first compete in Rocket League, a game that combines arcade-style soccer with fast-paced vehicular action, before moving on to other titles.
“Esports has exploded as an industry; it made more money last year than the NFL,” said Samantha Oliver, program director. “We aren’t just tapping into their love of video games. We’re teaching them how to work with people – how to work as a team and collaborate.”
In addition to esports, the new labs will support programs like Career Launch, equipping teens with digital skills such as resume-building and software training to prepare them for an increasingly online job market.
“So many modern workplaces have become either partially or entirely digital spaces,” Oliver said. “It has become normal for jobseekers to secure employment without ever meeting a hiring manager in-person. Therefore, it is imperative that we work to close the digital divide for our members in these critical years.”
For more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region and its programs, visit boysandgirlsclubsglbr.com or call 989-321-9648.
