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Ullyot said many city programs are money losers intended to benefit the public as a community service, including other recreational programs — even the city library. Esports was not the only program shut down after he left the city at the end of 2022, Ullyot said. A swimming class for first graders was also axed. ‘Feels bad man’ Many youth participants, their families and local educators were disappointed to see the city-sponsored video game lounge shut down. Nate Wong, dean of Academic Services for programming and community development at A+ Charter School, said many of his students felt the biggest loss. About three dozen A+ Charter students were involved in the city’s gaming program. “People were upset about losing that program,” Wong said. “It really impacted the school. For some of the students, it was their only outlet.” Wong found his gaming students were sharpening their arithmetic skills by keeping track of their gaming statistics. He said gaming and coding are among the top five areas of interest among young students. “I thought the program was great,” he said, adding his school plans to develop a follow-up program that would bring gaming back to A+ students. Priscilla Behnke, co-founder and director of Maricopa’s Be Awesome Youth Coalition, said gaming was “huge” among student members of the coalition. She said the gamers lounge helped connect coalition students to the community. “We had a mentorship program, so we played with mentees, which was a way to connect with the community,” she said. Be Awesome even shouldered the fees for its student members to become members at Copper Sky if they wanted to utilize the gaming space. “We paid for our services with [the city],” Behnke said. “We raised the funds.” The good news is community groups like Maricopa Gamers, a social group with 400 active members, are taking up the mantle and keeping esports alive in the city. The local group that started June 10 last year plays Fortnite, Rocket League and Call of Duty together, but it’s geared toward adult gamers and weekend play. As for the glassed-in walls that once echoed with the hollers of playful children inside Copper Sky, the once neon, LED-stripped enclosure is undergoing remodeling to become office space.
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InMaricopa.com | May 2024
May 2024 | InMaricopa.com
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