Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Vilela.
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a single mom with four sons. I’ve been a real estate agent since 2003 and love everything about real estate. My now adult son Jake got started in the gaming industry when he broke his collarbone in ninth grade playing soccer. Jake, a.k.a. Bullywyd moved to Virginia at the age of 17 to be on a professional organization.
When I first learned about XP League on a call with Cope.gg I thought it was a brilliant idea. All of the knowledge and experience that I have been able to gain as a professional gamer’s mom, I thought would be such a cool opportunity to bring youth esports into our local community. I feel with my business background and knowledge of the gaming community, we will be able to impact many children’s lives with XP League.
There are so many opportunities in the gaming industry that many parents are unaware of. With universities and local colleges now providing esports arenas throughout the country it only made sense to bring this youth sport to South Florida. XP League is an all-inclusive community. You don’t need to have experience in gaming, just a desire to have fun, learn play and grow.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The main reason that I am on the advisory board of cope is that we are a group of parents with professional gamers/content creators who support our children within the gaming industry. What we learned as a group of parents is that it’s such a new community or fast-growing community that just like the movie stars or pro athletes of traditional sports gamers also require professionals to surround them. Meaning health, coaches, managers, attorneys, nutritionists, financial planners etc. to stay healthy and have a positive mindset and perform at a high level. The coalition of parents in esports works hard not only to educate parents but to help gamers who may have had issues within the community. One of the hardest things is to educate our youth/young adults, that everything you see on the Internet, or behind a screen is not necessarily real.
Today’s youth have a lot of access to various sources, which at times can become a toxic environment. It’s our job as parents, schools, coaches, and XP League owners to create a positive fun environment in the gaming industry
We’ve been impressed with Esports Palm Beach, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are the little league of esports. One of the things that I feel separates our league from traditional sports is inclusivity. We welcome all youth. For some children, this will be the first team that they may have been able to be on because of a health condition.
I feel that a child that may be shy and introvert and spends time alone playing video games will now have the opportunity to come and learn and grow and have fun in a team environment. Our kids get professional jerseys, licensed coaches, and professional equipment to play on. Although we are a competitive league our main focus is to have fun.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
Deciding to purchase an XP League franchise here in South Florida, and to bring the concept to our state, first was a huge risk. Running a successful real estate business for 18 years, I had no reason to venture out of the real estate industry. Other than the fact, I saw this as an opportunity for myself and my family.
I am currently in the process of opening three more locations in Weston, Plantation and Boca Raton. I truly believe the gaming community will be a better place as we start educating our future gamers at the age of seven. So far, my local community has embraced this opportunity, and we are so excited to impact the lives of many of our youth.
Pricing:
- League Play is $349 a 8-week season which includes a jersey
- Prices vary by location.
Contact Info:
- Website: Wellington.XPL.gg
- Phone Number: 561-810-0034
