North American esports organisation M80 has joined forces with Florida-based sports training destination IMG Academy to launch an esports training camp.
The training programme will contain a mixture of online education and in-person training for students to improve their skills.
The programme will cover VALORANT, League of Legends, and Rocket League with VALORANT’s course beginning in May and the remaining two courses starting in June.
Those who participate in the courses will receive coaching from Don ‘Syyko’ Muir, M80 Vice President of Esports, and Edward Cleland, Mind Body Esports Clinical Director. According to a release, the courses will provide students with ‘game-specific training, physical conditioning, and mental performance coaching.’
Esports education continues to be an area where institutions are looking to provide students with relevant qualifications and services. In recent weeks, British Esports has launched new coaching and safeguarding courses as the national body begins preparation for the inaugural Olympic Esports Games taking place in 2027.
Elsewhere, organisations are looking for new ways to improve student engagement with esports. In December 2024, Gen.G joined forces with Syracuse University to bolster engagement and learning opportunities by improving its existing esports communications and management bachelor’s programme.
Founded in 2022, M80 has quickly established itself as one of the prominent esports organisations in North America. It currently fields rosters in VALORANT, Counter-Strike, Rainbow Six, and eNASCAR. In 2023, it secured $3m (~£2.3m) in funding resulting in professional tennis player Daniil Medvedev becoming part of the organisation’s ownership group.
“Providing the structure needed for the growth of generational talent is critical to developing esports in North America, and M80 is proud to be leading that charge,” explains Marco Mereu, Founder and CEO of M80. “With over 300 universities offering esports scholarships in North America, there’s never been a more important time to provide a path to those opportunities, both in professional and collegiate play.”
