Carrollton to develop one of the first municipal e-sports programs in the metroplex

Carrollton’s Parks and Recreation department is building a new branch of programs as it caters to its e-sports community.

Recreation Manager Heather Smith said the Crosby Recreation Center is slated to become a new flagship for young residents interested in engaging with e-sports. Carrollton will be the first city in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to have an e-sports branch in its recreational programs, according to Smith.

The city is expected to partner with BearClaw Gaming to supply a room with 20 gaming stations complete with gaming PCs and monitors, desks, gaming keyboards, chairs, mice, in addition to other necessary equipment; a console lounge; e-sports coaching, programming, leagues and tournaments; on-site facility monitors; a spectator space with additional projection of tournaments throughout the facility and a retail area.

The programs would allow Carrollton residents as well as surrounding communities to have an entry point into e-sports. It would also host tournaments and open play from local to international levels. Additionally, the city could partner with Lewisville and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISDs to help students pursue e-sports.

The partnership with BearClaw Gaming would give members access to leagues in games like Call of Duty, Valorant, Fortnite and Overwatch.

BearClaw CEO Harley Parks said the games would be age-restricted, so members under the age of 18 would need written parental consent to access games like Call of Duty. There would also be a host of games offered for younger audiences like Rocket League, Minecraft and Fortnite. Whether through a membership with Parks and Recreation or through the e-sports facility, patrons will receive coaching to begin competing on a professional level. Additionally, she said she wants the e-sports facility at the Crosby Recreation Center to be a space where professionals and average gamers can gather and interact in the same space.

“There’s a gap between average gamers and professional-level gamers,” Parks said. “We want to bridge that gap.”

Parks also said she wants to build a sense of pride in the Carrollton community by displaying trophies earned by Carrollton teams to invoke a feeling of, “that’s my city; that’s my team.” 

Smith said the e-sports industry is expected to reach a $1 billion value this year and give $161 million in scholarships. Students who have benefited from these scholarships have pursued degrees in fields including software engineering, visual arts and journalism.

“Obviously there are a lot of professions in e-sports, but I think it’s interesting to see where these individuals go, what the next steps for them are, and how we can take that information and develop our youth here in Carrollton,” Smith said.

Programs are expected to begin this summer, Smith said.

“This is a game-changer,” Councilmember Steve Babick said. “I think there’s going to be some consolidation in this industryas with all industries. For is it’ll be a good use of space, and it’ll give our youth something different.”

Babick said this was something the city would continue to take pride in over time.