After Happy Walters struck up a conversation with neighbor Chad Faulkner about the latter’s new Sports Academy facility in Thousand Oaks, Calif., the duo drew the conclusion that what was already available for NFL, NBA and Olympics athletes could also be made accessible to esports players, too.
Catalyst Sports & Media, where Walters is a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, collaborated with the multi-use athletic training and rehabilitation center to open Sandbox Esports, a first-of-its-kind esports training facility for both professionals gamers and amateurs alike. Given some of the unused space and the “technology” within the center, Walter said “it just made sense” to build out the dedicated esports hub.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Sports Academy to open Sandbox Esports, a first class esports facility and training program where esports competitors of all levels can perfect their skills,” Walters said in a statement. “The innovative training techniques and programs allow gamers to hone in on specific areas of improvement or their overall development. Sandbox Esports provides everything that esports athletes need to maximize their potential while having fun.”
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Added Faulkner, who is the Chief Executive of Sports Academy, in a statement: “We are elated to integrate esports into Sports Academy’s all-inclusive sports offering with the opening of Sandbox Esports in partnership with Catalyst. This…facility and training program allows esports competitors of all levels to train alongside the NBA, NFL and Olympic athletes that train at our complex. We look forward to helping esports athletes take their game to the next level.”
Within the nearly 100,000 square foot facility, Sandbox Esports will only comprise a few thousand feet, with the space holding up to 40 players as they use the available computers and hardware equipment for in-game training purposes. While players can practice around their respective titles, professional esports franchises can also participate in customized boot camp and programs, which will include core exercises and mental training.
.@LemonNation improving his hand eye coordination and reaction time, critical skills for any esports competitor!
#playelite #risewithsa pic.twitter.com/qnZxGGpnRr
— Sandbox Esports (@sandboxesports) May 2, 2017
Two esports franchises, FlyQuest and Counter Logic Gaming, trained at the facility during their offseasons and utilized additional cognitive machines and tools such as Dynaboard to improve hand-eye coordination, Neurotracker for testing memory skills and recovery equipment like a cryotherapy chamber and NormaTec.
Recovering with Normatec sleeves and electric stim to relax the muscles and reduce soreness ⚡️⚡️⚡️ #playelite pic.twitter.com/vFIGeT0AOk
— Sandbox Esports (@sandboxesports) May 2, 2017
“Sandbox Esports and Sports Academy understand the complete needs of esports athletes,” Matt Nashua, Director of Esports at Counter Logic Gaming said in a statement. “Participating in this program was the first time that our athletes were able to combine physical training with cognitive esports training. Our athletes were able to receive instruction from the best trainers in the industry while using state-of-the-art technology to perfect their esports skills.”
For now, Walters said that Sandbox Esports will focus around League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch and NBA 2K as franchises can select a la carte what types of services they’d like for their camp. An on-site sports psychologist and nutritionist will also be made available to teams.
Additionally, Sandbox Esports will offer fantasy camps and amateur camps taught by professional players and top-ranked gamers across each title.