IN THE NEWS

Published by The Northern Virginia Daily, see original article here

Veterans, college students and teenagers who have lost military parents bonded over video games on Friday at Shenandoah University’s esports arena during the Veterans Day Valorant Invitational and Smash Bros Open.

Video games, or esports — which studies have shown to have cathartic qualities in helping former service members cope with PTSD — have become a recreational staple for active members of the military, veterans, and their families. On Friday, eight teams participated in a bracket-style tournament of the strategic shooter game “Valorant” in an event hosted by Shenandoah University and the Warrior GMR Foundation.

Every branch of the military was represented by the teams, which qualified to participate in Friday’s event through an online tournament. Shenandoah University’s two highest-ranking teams, which participate in the National Association of Collegiate Esports, also squared off against the teams representing the Air Force, Space Force, Army, Navy and National Guard.

“There’s been a lot of research that shows video games is a way to connect, to teach resilience. That’s a big topic we talk about: How do you transition after military service? The whole idea is really to build community, find purpose, and focus on mental health,” said Josh Otero, founder and chairman of the Warrior GMR Foundation.

The foundation seeks to promote wellness through community bonding experiences — which, for their purposes, often means esports tournaments.

“This kind of opportunity didn’t exist three or four years ago. Seeing the growth of esports in the military has been really cool,” said Ryan Hwang, a member of the Air Force currently stationed at Fort Meade in Maryland, said in between games.

Having launched one of the country’s first programs allowing students to major in esports in 2019, Shenandoah University has been a pioneer in allowing students to prepare for a career in the burgeoning esports ecosystem. University staff members noted that the school offers the broadest array of esports-related study opportunities available.

“We have one of the most diverse academic programs in the world. No other school has an undergraduate major and an MBA concentration. We have the largest offering in the world for academic esports programs,” said Joey Gawrysiak, Shenandoah University’s esports director.

Friday’s Veterans Day event highlighted Shenandoah University’s commitment to serving veterans and members of the military. The esports tournament did not revolve merely around competition and immersive media, but also focused on leadership, mindfulness, and friendship. It was also an opportunity for the public to show their support for veterans and those on active duty.

“This is huge. Veterans Day is a day where you get to honor veterans of the past and current service members. This is a great opportunity to build community and show support for vets,” said Lt. Aaron Jones, the Navy esports team’s Division Director.

Also present on Friday were members of the Gold Star Gamers Limited, a nonprofit whose mission is to help kids who lost a military parent find hope and healing through competitive gaming. Several teenagers in the program huddled around a screen.

Reese Pascal, 15, of New Jersey, was warming up before a Super Mario Smash Bros tournament with friends.

“It’s a great way to work through what you are going through as a gold star kid. It’s amazing. This is my second tournament, and video games is something we all bond over,” Pascal said.

Winchester, Va. – Shenandoah University, in collaboration with its esports programs, SU’s Veterans, Military and Families Center (VMFC) and the Warrior GMR Foundation, is hosting a two-day esports event in honor of Veterans Day.

The event centers around the Warrior GMR Veterans Day Valorant Invitational and Smash Bros Open, which will be played in Shenandoah’s Esports Arena on the university’s main campus in Winchester, Virginia, Nov. 10-11.

Professional esports teams from the Army, Navy, Space Force, Air Force and Coast Guard will challenge SU’s esports team, Regiment Gaming and the Gold Star Gamers, a team composed of teens who lost a military parent. “We are honored to include the Gold Star Gamers in this event,” said Josh Otero, chairman of the Warrior GMR Foundation. “The kids have paid a sacrifice most of us can’t comprehend. We want them to know on this Veterans Day, and every day, they are supported and included in our military community.” 

Gold Star Gamer teens will travel to Virginia from all over the U.S. to compete. They will receive a VIP tour of SU’s esports program and participate in a special on-campus dedication ceremony in honor of their late parents. 

“Shenandoah University is committed to supporting our nation’s military veterans and their families, and we’re proud to partner with the Warrior GMR Foundation and Gold Star Gamers to provide an opportunity for hope and healing through gaming,” said Shenandoah University Provost Cameron McCoy, Ph.D., who is a U.S. Army veteran. “SU is excited to incorporate this event into our HIVE groundbreaking ceremony on Veterans Day, and we look forward to making the participants a part of the day’s celebration.”

The Warrior GMR Veterans Day Valorant Invitational and Smash Bros Open is being held in collaboration with community and industry partners, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, SHI and Microsoft. Contact Josh Otero at josh@warriorgmrfoundation.org for more information on sponsorship and collaboration opportunities.

The Warrior GMR Foundation has partnered with UKnightedXP to build and amplify its mission of promoting health, wellness, and community-ship through gaming. 

Tragically, every day 22 American veterans commit suicide. Studies show that gaming can help veterans cope with combat-induced trauma, alleviate stress, and help them to socialize and bond with others. According to the USO, about half of active military and veteran video gamers play video games to deal with military-related stress.

Concurrently, we are in the middle of a youth suicide epidemic. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 15-34. 75% of high school and higher education students reported worsened mental health over the past couple of years. Video games have also proven to help reduce stress and anxiety in the youth population, but games alone can’t solve this epidemic. This is where Warrior GMR Foundations mission of community-ship comes in to help connect the dots.

Josh Otero, Founder and Chairman of The Warrior GMR Foundation “The Warrior GMR Foundation was created to help active and veteran military warriors and gamers, by promoting health, wellness, and community-ship through gaming and UKnightedXP is a great partner to help us amplify our message and expand our platform. We are extremely excited to start working with them”.

UKnightedXP, Inc. (UKXP) is a 501(c)3 charity nonprofit organization that offers strategic consultant services in support of our charitable mission of ‘advancing the world through gaming, education, and charity.’

Mitchel Reed, President and CEO of UKnightedXP and retired Army Veteran and gamer ”The Warrior GMR Foundation is a tremendous undertaking, and UKnightedXP is proud to publicly announce this collaboration. We are here to support this incredible effort and mission! #WePlayForTheWorld”

The Warrior GMR Foundation and Clever Health have come together to address two of the most pressing issues facing active duty and veteran military warriors and gamers: anxiety and depression.

Tragically, every day 22 American veterans commit suicide. Studies show that gaming can help veterans cope with combat-induced trauma, alleviate stress, and help them to socialize and bond with others. According to the USO, about half of active military and veteran video gamers play video games to deal with military-related stress.

Concurrently, we are in the middle of a youth suicide epidemic. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 15-34. 75% of high school and higher education students reported worsened mental health during the pandemic. Video games have also proven to help reduce stress and anxiety in the youth population, but games alone can’t solve this epidemic.

The Warrior GMR Foundation was created to help active and veteran military warriors and gamers, by connecting them with the resources and mentorship to cope with mental health challenges. As the organization began touching thousands of lives via their i​​ntergenerational, recreational gaming, and amateur esports competitions, people started reaching out for more help. Seeking a platform their gamers could access for greater mental health support, Warrior GMR Foundation connected with Clever Health. 

Clever Health is a health tech startup based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that has developed an AI- driven smart app that offers 24/7/365 asynchronous virtual care, mental health chat support, and RX savings. The app allows the individual to engage with Bella confidentially and privately, the free mental health chatbot, who listens and intuitively responds to the user. 

A recent study by Johns Hopkins found that 92% of users moved toward recovery using the same technology that Bella leverages. Feedback in testing with soldiers gave Clever Health the confidence the technology was working:   

"Before I talked with you I felt like my world was coming down on me but after we talked and I did that exercise it helped me a lot."

"You were able to help me when most ppl can't"

Bella shares coping mechanisms based on emotions expressed but does not, at any point, diagnose the user. Bella’s protocols are based on American Psychological Association’s PHQ-9 and GAD-7, which work especially well when combined with the anonymity Bella offers. In a recent study conducted by USC, service members reported twofold to fourfold more symptoms and higher interest in receiving care via anonymous virtual human interviewers than from standard assessments. 

“This is a badly needed tool that has been missing for too long. Overcoming the mental health stigma is especially tough in the military, so the privacy and AI chatbot is a great option,” said Dr. John Drozd, Mental Health Committee Chairman of the Warrior GMR Foundation.  “We know gamers really well and they tell us they like the personalized chatbot technology and the flexibility of when and how they want to interact. It seems to be a perfect fit,” said Josh Otero, Founder & Chairman of the Warrior GMR Foundation.  

“We are excited to be helping such an important audience as the military and gamers. We love that the more they use our free tool, the more that can be donated back into the Warrior GMR Foundation to help others. We know this audience likes to win and values paying it forward just like we do,” said Jim Lewis of Clever Health. 

The app will be launched to the military and gamer community at the national Warrior GMR Cup and Brain Health Summit on August 20-22, 2021, at The Jacquard Hotel, 222 Milwaukee St in Cherry Creek, Denver, CO 80206. Click here to download and use the app. If prompted, enter Group # 7045 and Member # 1010.