It is with great pleasure that Soccer in the Streets would like to announce our new partnership with Ghost Gaming and Skillshot Media as our official esports partners.
The esports market is a massive, rapidly growing industry, and Atlanta is very much an emerging gaming hub, thanks in no small part to the success of Skillshot and the Ghost Gaming team. Founder Todd Harris is a longer-term Atlantan, and this partnership originated with him and his passion for spreading the word of what he calls “Gaming for Good.”
“Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming deliver esports in a way that transforms screentime into personal and skill development for young people. My first experience with gaming was playing in the arcade with my father (a programmer at IBM) and then learning to use the PC he brought home. With access to that computer and a role model in programming, I learned to code and started developing video games myself. So for me, gaming has always been about that social connection with a significant person in my life and the development of skills such as coding or graphic design that can lead to a great career. Not every young person has access to such technology or instruction today. Skillshot and Ghost Gaming are proud to work with partners like Soccer in the Streets to help deliver this “gaming for good” approach to more kids around Metro Atlanta.” - Todd Harris
Soccer in the Streets is a legacy youth sports nonprofit, and this foray into esports is uncharted territory. We are excited for this new opportunity to reach more kids. Our fields of play are quite different, but we are very aligned in our shared belief in social-emotional learning for the youth of Atlanta. Given the increasing complexity of our culture, both on and offline, this generation needs more tools and resilience to approach the challenges of their time. And the need for such has only increased as a result of the pandemic.
“The team at Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming, strive for excellence in their craft and throughout their community. We have an incredible opportunity for our kids to be exposed to the growing world of gaming and the pathways for careers within the industry. I am so excited for this partnership and its impact on both our kids and the Skillshot Media and Ghost Gaming teams.” - Chelsea Wood
With the able leadership of our Director of Leadership and Outcomes, Chelsea Wood, Soccer in the Streets will be offering soccer training and other physical activities to Ghost Gaming athletes, and Skillshot and Ghost Gaming will provide our youth soccer athletes opportunities to engage with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) skill-development and career awareness within their state of the art gaming studios. The kids will also receive a bit of exposure to the production side of esports and pathways for inspiring young players about the many career options in gaming and technology.
