Team USA will be represented by a group of seniors in the latest edition of an esports competition.
A group of gamers, ranging from their 60s to their 90s, will compete at the Global Esports Games throughout December in Los Angeles. Senior Esports USA announced the group of 11 Ohio seniors at a draft day.
Over 100 countries are taking part in the competition. Team USA and Team Belgium will be the only teams comprised of senior citizen gamers. They will face off against each other in Rocket League, a video game that combines European football with cars.
The Global Esports Games competition they will be taking part in will be supported by performances, other activities, an awards ceremony and workshops from the athletes. Over the week of December 1 to December 7, more than 2,500 athletes will take part in the competition. Other titles featured include “iRacing,” “eFootball,” “Clash Royale,” and “Mobile Legends.”
“Set against the backdrop of Southern California’s iconic coastline, creative industries, and spirit of constant reinvention, the Los Angeles 2026 Global Esports Games will reflect the full expression of modern global culture,” the competition’s leaders said in a press release. “From Mumbai to Los Angeles. From one great city of dreams to another, the Global Esports Games continues its journey. And in December 2026, the world will gather once again. Not simply to compete. But to celebrate the future. To build what comes next.”
The senior citizens who will be taking part in the competition first began their journey into the gaming world through an initiative developed by the Health e-Gamer Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for healthy gaming and esports.
Developed by physician Dr. Melita Moore, the organization was created to improve well-being by using video games to curb loneliness.
In an American Psychological Association poll released last year, 54% of U.S. adults said that they felt isolated, while 50% said that they felt they had no companionship some of the time or often. As a result, they reported feeling depressed, sad, nervous, anxious and tired.
This growing sense of disconnect is prevalent across most demographics. In young adults ages 18 to 24, one in two also said that they felt lonely.
Through video games, the Health e-Gamer Foundation helps these senior citizens curb their loneliness.
“In the aging process, far too often, we’re forgotten about, we’re overlooked, we’re nameless, powerless and voiceless, right?” said 72-year-old gamer Ladee Pamela Shields in an interview with ABC News. “This platform gives us an opportunity to engage in all of that and be seen, be heard, be understood.”
