It’s with great pleasure that we announce an all-new arm of the storied brand of Washington Youth Soccer: WYS Gaming. This is an idea that’s bounced around the heads of many of us in the office and on the board, but the COVID-19 situation only accelerated our desire to bring the virtual soccer experience to our members at home both right now and in the long-term future of Washington.
Esports are one of the fastest growing entertainment markets in the world, with a projected revenue of $1.1 billion in 2020–and that was before teams, leagues, and players turned to it as an alternative while under quarantine conditions. Competitive gaming is so big that it can earn players scholarships at numerous prestigious universities, as these institutions embrace esports like they would any other sport. We hope that WYS Gaming provides not only entertainment for our players, but it also helps cultivate those with higher ambitions–just like we do with soccer every day.
WYS Gaming is going to start with FIFA 20 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as our lone esports title for now. It’s the most obvious choice, being a soccer game, but we intend to branch out as the brand grows and players demand more options.
Registration is incredibly EASY, and can be done in minutes. If you’re already a registered WYS player, it’ll be even quicker. First, sign up for Battlefy, our esports platform. Then, register with WYS Gaming through our Affinity-based registration page. If you’re already registered with WYS, you’ll just go to the event in the link and click on the right age group. Through that, you’ll pay our modest $15 registration fee. This is to help pay for prizes and other fun stuff! Then, all you have to do is sign up for any tournaments you want to participate in! Right now, tournament entry fees are waived in honor of the WYS Gaming launch! If the registration fee is an issue for any player, contact gaming@washingtonyouthsoccer.org.
WYS Gaming Launch Series Tournaments
We’re kicking things off on May 25 with the WYS Gaming Launch Series, sign up today to compete for an Amazon gift card and start working your way up the Launch Series leaderboard! Players will be placed on an overall leaderboard based on their record in each tournament, with a grand prize being awarded to the top two players at the end of the event. As of now, we have two tournaments for players aged 13-18 and one for players 19+ scheduled, but more will be added. Watch our website and social accounts for more updated leaderboards and other WYS Gaming news.
Sign-up links are provided for each tournament below, but you will not be eligible if you haven’t also registered with WYS Gaming. Go to our registration info page for more.
Upcoming Tournaments
All events are scheduled for one day, but may carry into the following day with enough participation. Those days will always being again at the same time as Day 1, unless otherwise noted.
May 25: WYS Gaming Launch Classic
Ages 13-18
Xbox One & PS4
Prize: $25 Amazon gift card
May 28: WYS Gaming Summer Slam
Ages 13-18
Xbox One & PS4
Prize: $25 console eshop gift card
TBD: WYS Gaming Launch Series Adult Classic
Ages 19+
Xbox One & PS4
Prize: $25 Amazon gift card
There are many exciting things in the future for WYS Gaming, and we look forward to creating something great with all of you.
If you have any questions, email gaming@washingtonyouthsoccer.org, reach out on Twitter, or join our Discord server!