We are thrilled to chat with April Welch and John Davidson at the Esports Next Conference in today’s episode. 

April is the Associate Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Director of the Esports and Digital Arts Center at Illinois Tech. John is the Founder & CEO of the Davidson Learning Company, Host of the DLC Drop Podcast, and Chair of the Esports Trade Association. 

We had a fantastic conversation about the Esports Trade Association’s purpose, the pros and cons of gaming, and the importance of parents’ education around the benefits of gaming and esports. We also talk about the Esports Trade Association’s role in bridging two groups of people who need each other but can’t communicate clearly for generational reasons, how to differentiate productive from unproductive screen time, and much more.   

Resources:

Visit Illinois Tech’s website: https://www.iit.edu/

or connect with April on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilwelchchicago

Visit the Davidson Learning Company website: https://www.dlcyouth.com/

or connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-davidson-42953846/

Full Episode Breakdown:

Full Episode Breakdown:

2:23 – John shares the Esports Trade Association’s mission and vision. He also talks about the gaming industry’s endemic and nonendemic components and how they struggle to communicate.

5:46 – April shares her journey in the gaming industry. She also talks about the fear of failing, how it affects us, and how resilient gamers are thanks to constantly dying on video games and still keep trying until they succeed.   

9:45 – April talks about how awesome it was to receive the Level Up Fund award and how will they use that money at Illinois Tech. 

13:05 – Fornite skins are the new Jordans. John and April talk about the importance of understanding younger generations, especially how they interact and live their lives around video games. 

16:21 – Not all screens are created the same. April and John talk about the several benefits of traditional and competitive gaming.