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One of the rooms in the XP League Arlington location. (Courtesy photo | Irving Mendez)
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Joseph Aguilar struggled to find a good esports team five years ago.

The local Overwatch gamer had been playing for four years when he began to look for more competitive gaming opportunities in 2019. Despite his best efforts, most esports teams were made up of college-aged players, and Aguilar — a high schooler at the time — said he wasn’t able to find a good fit.

“Finding a team was tough because many teams didn’t want to take in younger players,” Aguilar said.

The Mansfield native is looking to become part of the solution. He has ambitions to serve as a coach for XP League, a national gaming league for children ages 8-17. The organization will host a grand opening of its new Arlington center at 3 p.m. July 20 at 3610 W. Pioneer Parkway, Unit 201. The league features a range of games including Overwatch 2, Fortnite, Valorant and Rocket League. 

The new location, technically in Pantego near west Arlington, joins three other North Texas locations in Frisco, Preston Hollow and a recently opened location in Garland.

XP League is owned and operated by Unleashed Brands, a company that operates brands dedicated to youth activities, including martial arts, trampoline parks and education. The gaming branch of the organization brands itself as a safe and nurturing environment for kids to develop their gaming.

“Not only is the parent buying with the membership, their kids are having fun, they’re in a safe environment, and they’re learning various life skills and lessons that they will take home,” said Irving Mendez, the franchise owner of the Arlington location.

Mendez works in construction by trade. Last year, he and his wife were looking for other opportunities and began speaking with an XP League franchise recruiter in October. 

The Arlington native currently has one coach on staff and has looked for others in the collegiate system, specifically through the esports team at the University of Texas at Arlington. The team has found national success, even getting crowned as grand champion at the 2022 Electronic Gaming Federation National Championships.

The gaming industry is not exclusive to the university setting in Tarrant County. Dickies Arena will host both the Fortnite Battle Royale Global Championship and the Rocket League World Championship in September.

“It’s just mind blowing that outside of us, [esports is] pretty big,” Mendez said. “I’m pretty grateful and fortunate that I’m able to jump in on it here in the early stages in Arlington.”

More than just gaming

A sign with the XP League logo in the new Arlington location. (Courtesy photo | Irving Mendez)

Mendez found opening a franchise with XP League to be very doable. According to Unleashed Brands, franchise costs include a $35,000 franchise fee and the ability to invest $190,750 to $332,000 for the physical location.

As a former gamer, however, Mendez said the main draw was that the organization is community-driven.

“I found XP League to be more rewarding. It doesn’t just give to me, but it gives back to the community,” Mendez said.

XP League is currently the only youth esports organization to partner with the Positive Coaching Alliance, a national organization that promotes positive youth sports experience through coaching. 

As part of their partnership, XP League coaches must get certified as a Double Goal coach, which is defined as focusing on two goals — winning and life lessons.

Saurabh Aggarwal, the co-founder and managing director of the XP League Frisco location, said the multifaceted nature of coaching with XP League helps with recruitment. Professional gaming still has a stigma of not being mainstream or academic, so the promotion of life skills helps convince parents to allow their kids to join.

“It’s not just gaming. Kids can learn a lot, they can learn leadership skills, communication skills, collaboration skills,” Aggarwal said.

Aguilar is still in talks with XP League but has found coaching to be an enjoyable avenue in the world of gaming. He currently captains UT-Arlington’s Overwatch team and has coached his teammates. Soon, Aguilar hopes to help guide others through the game he’s loved for eight years.

“From everything I’ve heard about XP League and the talks I’ve had with the owner, it’s going to be a really good opportunity for kids, not just high school, but a little bit younger, to get the opportunity to go into those competitive systems and enjoy that competitive aspect,” he said. 

Ismael M. Belkoura is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.