Clearwater mom looks to change perspective of video games with esports arena

CLEARWATER, Fla. — A Tampa Bay area mom is changing the narrative of video games being bad for your health.

It all started when she decided to open up her very own esports arena in the area. The new arena is helping to change the perspective, as well as fuel some online competition.

“It’s gaming with a purpose. It’s gaming with structure and attention,” said Christine Baron, owner of XP League Clearwater.

Inside XP League Clearwater, you’ll find a different type of athlete. One that has grown from living rooms and chat lobbies to take center stage online. It’s the esport athlete.

Their computer mice or controllers are their equipment, and this lounge, full of gaming consoles, is their arena, where they battle each other side-by-side and online.

“It took a lot to overcome that mindset that video games were brain rot. They were an extra, they were a time suck if you will,” said Baron.

Baron might be the owner of the facility, but getting to this point required changing her own perspective on video games.

“They are putting their time, energy, efforts into developing themselves and their skills, knowledge, and there’s a lot of passion that goes into that,” she said.

It’s an industry that has seen a meteoric rise in popularity, with online streamers now seen as celebrities and a growing reach across media.

“It’s kind of more of a safe space and it’s been growing and growing, making its way into mainstream media, and now they’re making shows and movies all about these video games,” says Isaac Baron, coach at XP League Clearwater. “It’s really growing the community more, and I really love seeing it like that.”

Colleges, like Florida State University, are beginning to offer esports teams competitively. A few high schools are too, but Baron says there’s still a long way to go.

“They do run into a lot of obstacles, though, in terms of acceptance within the community as well as resources,” she said. “And then, like I said, the whole organization of esports is a bit of a conundrum. You need to have somebody working at a higher level to ensure that the individual schools can connect with each other for meaningful competition.”

It’s changing that perception of the digital landscape, Baron says, she hopes to impact.

“In this moment, it’s to have their parents engage with them. I want to bring them out of their bedrooms and into a place where mom and dad can see what they’re doing and begin to understand it and support them from the sidelines,” she said.

Making the virtual landscape more accepted in the real world.

XP League offers coaching and a league players can join. There are four seasons in the league with a qualifying tournament at the end in order to participate in the North American finals. You can learn more about the gaming arena by visiting their website.