STEADFAST ON his mission to encourage engagement in the fun side of education, Callum Daniel has added another feather to his cap by being named as an official eSports ambassador for Guild Academy.

I’ve always been a gamer and this is another dream achieved

Callum Daniel

A comprehensive and innovative eSports development ecosystem, The Guild Academy brings eSports players from around the world, aged 11 and up, on a unique learning journey that primarily focuses on personal discovery and development through gameplay.

The company boasts former Manchester United ad England footballer David Beckham as a chief investor and, talking to Lifestyle, Daniel, who is a ‘Diana Award 2020’ recipient, could barely contain his excitement.

He enthused: “As an eSports ambassador, Guild Academy is giving me unique experiences and a skill sets to represent different parts of the eSports ecosystem and become a world leader in eSports.

It’s also positioned me to inspire other young people and provide awareness of the vast array of opportunities in the industry.”

He added: “A massive part of the academy is about giving us young people a safe space in which to operate and looking at our health and performance.

“It’s been a whirlwind to be involved in such game changing educational development in eSports. “From testing the Guild academy platform before launch to co-hosting Guild academy panels, where children and parents can get much needed guidance.”

Speaking on the growth of eSports a spokesperson at Guild said connecting with positive young people like Daniel, was an important part of nurturing the future growth of the sport.

“Esports has consistently been one of the fastest-growing industries over the past few years, with over 430 million viewers of live events in 2020. “It is so important that this interest is nurtured and developed at an early stage of one’s development.”

He continues: “If a child is interested in football it’s easy for a parent to find out how to develop that interest, within eSports and gaming it’s less clear.

“At Guild we’ve launched our worldclass academy to assist with that development; however, there’s so much more we can do at every stage of a child’s development.

“Outside of gaming we’re looking to develop children into better people and have partnered with Mumsnet to ensure we’re doing that.

“Our ambassador programme strives to shine a light on all aspects of the eSports and Gaming community and provide positive role models for people from all walks of life. Guild strives to provide an inclusive environment.

“Esports is only going to continue to grow astronomically and an interest that should be nurtured and developed to create well-rounded, successful people.”

Guild Academy added: “Callum represents everything that we value in our athletes at Guild. He’s a great leader and very entrepreneurial, which are key not only to being successful within eSports but also in life.

“But more than that it’s how Callum uses his platform to influence positive change – the world could do with more Callums.

“We’re so proud to have Callum on board and not only can we not wait to achieve great things with him, we know he’ll be an excellent role model for our academy users all around the world.”

Daniel, already busy in his role and loving every element of the journey, said: “Proud isn’t a large enough word to describe how it feels to be a part of the Guild academy family.

“I’m a part of something groundbreaking which has created an impact with members already and is coowned by David Beckham, it doesn’t get much better than that.

“Recently I co-hosted a health and performance session where children from the academy were able to ask Guild coaches questions.

“On the panel were Safeguarding and wellbeing experts, nutritionists, physios, strength and conditioning coaches and psychologists.

“When would we ever get direct access to a team like that? It was powerful. So many children wanted advice on what to eat, how to stay alert, how to navigate online friendships and stay safe, being a better team player, motivation, how to strengthen their bodies and mind. “It shows me that young children and parents really need the advice but didn’t know where to go.

“I truly believe the motivation we get from Guild Academy also impacts the other areas of our life.

“I’ve always been a gamer and this is another dream achieved.”

Esports, more than just a game