Team Liquid competes in the North American league for a popular game called “League of Legends.” Ownership spent millions of dollars — no one will say exactly how much — to assemble an all-star roster and create a sleek training center in Santa Monica. We tour this facility and see what a day in the life of a Team Liquid athlete looks like.
“Let the gaming commence,” City of Omaha Parks and Recreation Director Matthew Kalcevich said as he cut the ribbon initiating the grand opening for a new youth esports arena.
XP League Omaha, 2563 S. 171st Court, held its grand opening Saturday, inviting youth gamers, ages 8 to 17, of all skill levels to their pro-level and coach-led esports experience.
League President Greg Douglas and his nephew Nick Vanderwal, the league commissioner, hope to provide a safe place for the young gamers to not only craft their abilities, but also learn lifelong skills.
“It covers all the great things that you can learn by being a part of a team: accountability, dedication, teamwork,” Douglas said.
XP League Omaha, 2563 S. 171st Court, held its grand opening Saturday.
There are three different membership options for the youths ranging from $149 to $249 per month. Each membership includes at least one practice and scrimmage per week, a custom jersey, in-house events and a moderated team Discord.
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Currently, the new gaming arena has 18 gaming stations and a shoutcasting booth to stream games. XP League Omaha offers eight different games including Rocket League, Fortnite, League of Legends, Minecraft, Overwatch and Valorant.
Along with the pro-level gaming systems, the league has four certified coaches who are well-rounded in esports. Each kid who enters the Lakeside Plaza location receives a free coaching session to understand what XP League is.
“The kids get to have a coach who not only understands the games and generally is an excellent player in esports, but also understands that really what we want to do is see kids grow and develop,” Douglas said. “We’re interested in the kids themselves, not just as gamers, but kids as a whole person. That’s why our slogan, ‘We build character, not avatars,’ is so important to us.”
XP League Omaha, 2563 S. 171st Court, held its grand opening Saturday.
While Douglas is a league president now, esports used to be a foreign topic for him. He saw the benefits when his nephew Vanderwal dived into the gaming world.
Douglas noted he also witnessed the downside of potential isolation.
Like social media, Douglas said the aspect of esports being isolating and negatively impacting a child’s development led him to open XP League Omaha.
“XP League is not only working to maximize the benefit of esports, but also fighting against isolation,” Douglas said. “We want to put (the kids) physically next to their teammates, right aside of their coach, so that they can interact person to person, as opposed to just online.”
In addition to potential isolation, gaming at home has given parents many safety concerns about their children communicating with potentially harmful strangers. For Omaha parent Kimberly Dow, this was a major worry of hers.
Eight-year-old Levi Dow plays a game at XP League Omaha, 2563 S. 171st Court, during the grand opening Saturday.
Dow brought her 8-year-old son, Levi, to the grand opening where he got to play his favorite game, Fortnite.
“He’s very into gaming and I think him being a part of a team with a coach would be a really positive experience for him rather than just sitting in the basement playing with strangers who he doesn’t know,” Dow said.
Levi said he’s been playing since he was 4 years old and came to the league to learn how to get better at games. So far, he said he’s a pro and hasn’t needed a lot of tips but thinks the coaches will come in handy.
Win or lose, Douglas said he just hopes to get passionate youth gamers into their doors and away from isolation so they can continue learning life skills.
“At the end of the day, if a kid is on a team and they lose, as long as we see development for that kid’s growth, it’s a win for us and I think a win for the kid,” Douglas said.
For more information and to sign up for a membership, visit omaha.xpl.gg.
Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2023
Swimmers take off in the boys 400 yard freestyle relay in the NSAA state swimming championship finals in Lincoln on Saturday.
Snow still covers fields as the sun starts to set near Wynot, Nebraska on Thursday.
Sutherland's Grady Dempcy is introduced before he takes on David City Aquinas's Grady Romshek for the Class D during the state final 106 pound match on Saturday.
Millard South's Miles Anderson, left, walks away after pinning Lincoln East's Joshua Shaner during the Class A state final 126 pound match on Saturday.
Omaha's Ty Mueller gets a first-half shot past Colorado College goalie Kaidan Mbereko's left hand in the first period to put UNO up 1-0 on Friday. Also on the play is Colorado College's Noah Laba, top right, and Nicklas Andrews, bottom left.
Maria Sosa teaches a Folklórico class at the Hispanic Arts Center inside the former Center Theater located at 3504 Center Street on Tuesday.
A pedestrian crosses east on 13th Street at Harney Street during a winter storm on Thursday.
Wisner-Pilger fans cheer on a wrestler in the NSAA State Wrestling championships in Omaha on Thursday.
A pedestrian crosses west on 17th Street at Douglas Street in the rain on Tuesday.
Haley Quall, right, and Lisa Mueller prepare flower arrangements for Valentine's Day in the greenhouse at Janousek Florist in Omaha on Monday. The family-owned florist expects to have about 700 orders for the holiday.
Creighton's Shereef Mitchell (4) walks off the court with head coach Greg McDermott following the UConn vs. Creighton men's basketball game in Omaha on Saturday. Creighton won the game 56-53.
Victor Benjamin shapes clay in his hand as he works on a sculpture of Chief Big Elk at the KANEKO on Wednesday.
People watch as Victor Benjamin works on a sculpture of Chief Big Elk at the KANEKO on Wednesday. It will eventually be placed at the newly renovated Lewis & Clark Landing at The RiverFront.
Victor Benjamin works on a sculpture of Chief Big Elk at the KANEKO on Wednesday. It will eventually be placed at the newly renovated Lewis & Clark Landing at The RiverFront.
Creighton's Lauren Jensen dribbles the ball in the first half against St. John's on Saturday.
Creighton's Morgan Maly and her team celebrate a second-half three-point basket against St. John's on Saturday.
Employees and customers retrieve their belongings a day after they fled a Target at 17810 West Center Road after someone walked in and started firing an assault rifle. Omaha police shot and killed the suspect.
Omaha Zoo CEO Luis Padilla announces an update to the Hubbard Orangutan Forrest on Friday.
Sarah Nocita hugs her son, Michael Baker, as they move into a new place in northwest Omaha on Thursday. They were tenants of the Legacy Crossing Apartments before being forced to move after the City of Omaha shut down the complex in December.
