Naperville Park District Staff Member Receives Leadership Award For Introducing Esports

Press release from the Naperville Park District:

The Special Districts/Midwest program recognized Naperville Park District’s Information Technology Director Omar Sandoval with a Technology Innovation Award in the Leadership Category for his role in introducing esports at Naperville Park District and assisting more than 30 other organizations with their esports initiatives. The award was presented on December 15 at the Special Districts Summit in Chicago.

“This was a team effort at the Naperville Park District to get a new esports program up and running during the pandemic,” explained Sandoval. “Partnering with GGLeagues, we were able to set up and promote an introductory Rocket League during the stay-at-home order in the spring of 2020, giving participants of all ages an opportunity to engage from home.”

Sandoval and other Naperville Park District staff participated in conference calls with other park districts and agencies, providing guidance about how to start esports in their own communities. They continue to assist others with this new recreation opportunity, which has expanded at Naperville Park District to include Madden20 and FIFA tournaments.

This press release was produced by the Naperville Parks District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.