E- Sports

We are excited to announce our commitment to an inclusive, wide-ranging esports program at SOMA. This is a great way to meet athletes and unified partners from schools across the state, both in-person and virtually. We will offer events such as online tournaments, in-person competitions, and skills sessions. In addition, to improve their skills, we offer the option for athletes and partners to practice with peers and work with the professionals in the gaming world to reach their true potential. Through our partnerships with industry professionals like Helix eSports and Uptime Esports, we are able to provide a top-notch experience as a result of their expertise. Keep up to date with all eSports activities by following Special Olympics Massachusetts Twitch account, where our events will be streamed!

We are looking for coaches and volunteer leadership to really take this and run with it. While not as traditional as in-person events, volunteers will be able to have additional opportunities to connect with athletes and enhance their gameplay ability and teamwork.

We take the necessary precautions with providing a safe, enjoyable virtual experience for our participants. Before taking part in any events or experiences, we recommend viewing any resources that will help familiarize yourself with the gamin platform as well as the online gaming world! While we plan to compete internally with no external participants, it is important to remain safe at all times. Some informative resources are:

• Getting Started with Your Xbox One

• PS5: The Ultimate Guide to PlayStation 5

• Online Gaming Safety

• 5 Things You Should Know About Gaming and Online Security

• Online Teen Safety Guide

• Tips for Playing Games Online

Rocket League
Rocket League is a sport-based video game, that can be describes as ‘soccer on wheels’. It features a competitive game mode based on teamwork and outmaneuvering opponents. Players work with their team to advance the ball down the field, and score goals in their opponents’ net. This game is popular to work with because it focuses on the skills and teamwork of soccer, while also being available to plays cross-platform on multiple consoles

NBA 2K21
NBA 2K21 is a basketball simulation video game based on the National Basketball Association (NBA). The player mainly plays NBA games with real-life or customized players and teams; games follow the rules and objectives of NBA games. Several game modes are present and many settings can be customized.

FIFA 21
FIFA 21 offers two sides of professional soccer – the large-scale of the professional stage and an authentic street soccer experience in EA SPORTS VOLTA, where players compete in more of a pick-up atmosphere.

Madden 21
Madden NFL 2021 is an American football videogame based on the National Football League. Madden NFL 21 introduces new innovative gameplay mechanics that offer advanced level of control and inspire creativity on both sides of the ball.



More games to come in 2022 and beyond!

If you are looking to improve your Rocket League skills or log some practice time without playing online matches, then the in game training is the perfect option! While not competitive, this is still challenging and sure to help sharpen your skills.

Training is an offline game mode that is designed to help players master the most fundamental skills of the game. Practicing in training mode is a great way to get better quickly when starting out playing Rocket League, and coming back to practice the harder training levels can also help break through and maintain higher skill levels. Check out the Master Guide to Rocket League.

If you are new to the game or just want to practice, then the best course of action is using the in game training feature that is called “2KU.” This mode will help you familiarize yourself with the controls of the game and put you through different drills, and with that has 5 different types of training which are detailed below:

• Training Game – This is the best mode for beginners, as it offers a large selection of tutorials, including shooting, dribbling and passing. This gives players the opportunity to hit the practice court and learn each of the basic skills with no competition.

• Freestyle – This mode throws players in the court to practice those moves that you have picked up.

• Scrimmage – This is the first mode where you will come up against an opposition, playing in a traditional 5v5 format.

• Practice Plays- This mode gives the user the opportunity to learn preset plays, both on offense and defense. You can also watch the CPU run the plays for you so you can see how it’s done. This is one way to quickly level up your play.
  
  Check put the Beginner’s Guide for NBA2k20.