UEL partnered with Utopian Academy for the Arts Charter School Network to run a full-week training camp in esports operations. Along with playing games, students were taught the structure behind gaming and a curriculum covering league management, production, casting, branding.
They also received hands-on training with daily role rotations, a student-run finale show for the school, families, and donors. By week’s end, students will walk away with a deeper understanding of the growing esports industry and their place in it.
Titus Walker, CEO and founder of UEL, explained the philosophy behind the organization.
“The company came about with the idea that gaming is the sport, instead of any particular game,” said Walker. “I actually did some research and found that the average gamer plays 24 games a year. So I wanted to create a competition that focused on the well-rounded gamer—which is 99% of the market—rather than a single-focused gamer.”
That foundational concept shaped not only the UEL’s competitive structure but also its youth programming.
The Atlanta camp brought together students for a comprehensive immersion into the esports world, but it wasn’t just about gameplay. Attendees learned skills in streaming, production, content creation, team management, branding, and commentary. While building technical proficiency, students also tackled one of the most overlooked aspects of esports: mental and physical wellness.
“We started off the entire week with workshops focused on team building and emotional regulation,” said Dr. Elise Munoz, UEL’s Chief Wellness Officer. “Every day, students faced different challenges in the industry, and we used those moments as teachable opportunities, applying lessons in wellness and mental performance in real time.”
Munoz emphasized an experiential model that let students encounter frustration—like losing a game—and then apply strategies to regulate their emotions.
“We integrated movement breaks, daily physical activity, and wellness education,” she said. “They were outside at least an hour a day. We even taught them how screen fatigue affects reaction time. Just that bit of information makes them think differently about taking breaks.”
Beyond gameplay and wellness, the students also developed leadership and professional skills. They designed logos, built social media content, moved equipment, and managed teams—mirroring what a real esports production entails.
“When we arrived on day one, no one—students, parents, or teachers—knew how to run an esports league or production,” said Walker. “By the end of the week, the students knew how to do 80% of it on their own. The parents and teachers still don’t know how, but the kids could teach them now.”
When asked about gender diversity, Walker acknowledged that more work is needed.
“There’s still a challenge in seeing strong female representation in competitive esports spaces,” he said. “We want to make sure girls feel welcome, and we know that making them more visible—putting them at the front—can help with that.”
Munoz added that many girls who game might not identify as “gamers” in the traditional sense.
“They may see themselves as entertainers or content creators who also game,” she noted. “So it’s also about reshaping the narrative and inviting them into a space where they feel they belong.”
UEL is scaling fast.
“We just came from Dallas,” said Walker. “And now, we’re turning this into an ongoing program in Atlanta—something similar to a school theater program.”
The program will be housed in UEL’s state-of-the-art facility in Buckhead, with weekend competitions open to gamers statewide.
“Players from anywhere in Georgia can sign up for free. We’ll be hosting competitions every weekend, where pro gamers can win cash playing video games,” Walker shared.
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