Youth esports company XP League hires Director of Special Programs

29 September 2022

Share

Image credit: XP League

North American youth esports franchise XP League has appointed Justin ‘Jay’ Hairston, formerly of Envy, as its Director of Special Programs.

In his role, Hairston will be responsible for leading XP League’s virtual esports programme. His remit includes the project’s development, implementation and performance.

According to an announcement, the virtual esports programme will look to offer XP League opportunities to gamers when there is not a physical location in their city. As of right now, XP League has bases in more than 40 locations in North America. 

Founded in 2020, XP League provides a nine-week seasonal programme to young gamers, including one practice and one match a week. Each XP League team is led by a coach who teaches skills such as resiliency, teamwork and sportsmanship in addition to gaming skills.

Prior to joining XP League, Hairston served as a Social Director for North American esports organisation Envy, prior to its rebranding to OpTic Gaming. He also held a prominent role at anime distribution company Funimation as its Global Community Manager. 

Discussing his appointment, Hairston said: “I’m stoked to combine my passion for gaming with my love for helping the youth. I aim to build the best-in-class esports experience from start to finish making our players feel like rockstars and their families wishing that XP League existed when they were kids.”

Throughout 2022 XP League has undergone significant growth as a company. In April, it was acquired by North American franchise growth accelerator Unleashed Brands. The company also teamed up with coaching platform Next Level Esports to develop a training and certification programme for XP League’s coaches.

Per a release, the new virtual esports programme is set to become a significant addition to XP League’s operations and league-wide growth. Currently, the company operates in Fortnite, Rocket League, Overwatch and VALORANT.

Tom Daniels
Tom has been part of Esports Insider's team since October 2020 and is currently the platform's Editor. When not playing Football Manager, he enjoys reporting on the mobile esports scene as well as the betting sector.