2025 Recap: The Year We Leveled Up Together
If you ask our families what UNIFIED Esports League (UESL) really is, you’ll hear answers that have nothing to do with screens—confidence, friendship, routine, belonging, and the joy of being part of a team. That’s what powered 2025.
This year wasn’t just busy. It was a turning point: deeper community roots, stronger partner relationships, more visibility, and a clear signal that San Diego + Imperial County families are hungry for programs that meet IDD individuals with respect, structure, and real opportunity.
In 2025, UESL kept building what we believe in most: inclusive gaming + technology education that supports the whole person—mind + body + community.
“When we started UNIFIED Esports League, we believed in the power of games to bring people together—but what we’ve built in 2025 has gone far beyond anything we imagined. This year was about growth, trust, and watching our clients rise when given the space, support, and community they deserve. None of this happens without our families, partners, coaches, and supporters who believe in our mission every step of the way. As we look ahead to 2026, I’m more excited than ever for what’s coming—more opportunities, more connection, and even greater impact for the incredible individuals we serve. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We’re just getting started.”
— Matthew Iske, Founder + CEO of the UNIFIED Esports League
The highlights: growth, expansion + showing up for more families
A bigger footprint across San Diego + Imperial Counties
One of the clearest wins of 2025 was momentum: UESL continued expanding access to our UNIFIED Technology Centers so more families could find a supportive space closer to home. We welcomed San Marcos, San Ysidro, and Rancho Santa Fe to our line-up! Our locations across San Diego + Imperial Counties represent more than pins on a map—they represent reliable weekly routine, safe social connection, and structured coaching for IDD individuals (ages 8–adult).
More than gaming: technology education that builds real-world skills
UESL is proud to be a place where passion becomes progress. For our gamers, technology isn’t “extra”—it’s a pathway. We’ve continued strengthening our approach to skill-building through technology experiences that support:
communication + self-advocacy
collaboration + peer connection
problem-solving + confidence
coordination + motor planning
routine + emotional regulation
And because we serve IDD individuals, we do this with the care it requires: consistent coaching, individualized encouragement, and a culture that celebrates every win—big or small.
Partnerships that strengthened our mission in 2025
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS): wellness + experiential learning in action
One of the most meaningful partnership highlights of 2025 was our collaboration with the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS)—a connection that reinforces something we’ve always believed: gaming + technology education can (and should) support wellness, too.
Through this partnership, USAHS students gain real-world experience while contributing to UESL’s wellness-forward environment—bringing additional perspective on movement, posture, and healthy routines into our technology-based programming.
This is what “community care” looks like in practice: professionals-in-training showing up with compassion, and IDD individuals being met with tools that help them feel stronger, safer, and more supported—inside and outside the game.
Community visibility + trust building
2025 also brought more opportunities to tell the UESL story publicly—through local features, community conversations, and shared moments that helped families and partners understand what makes UESL different: we are intentionally building belonging + life skills in a program designed for IDD individuals.
Why our model works: the research supports what families see every week
UESL will never claim gaming is a cure-all—and we’re thoughtful about healthy use. But what we can say confidently is that a growing body of research supports the idea that well-designed game-based interventions can improve social outcomes, and that movement-based games can support physical development—especially when guided intentionally by trained adults in structured settings.
#1 Game-based interventions + social skill development
A 2025 meta-analysis in Frontiers in Pediatrics reported that game-based interventions were effective for improving social skills, social behaviors, and cognition in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while also noting the need for continued high-quality research. This aligns with what we prioritize at UESL: structured play, coached interaction, and community-building that supports social growth.
#2 Exergaming + motor skill gains in developmental disability
A 2023 study examining a virtual reality exergame (stationary bicycle-based VR) found positive effects on motor skills in children with developmental disability—particularly locomotor-related outcomes. While UESL is broader than any single tool, research like this supports an approach we value: technology can be designed to encourage movement + skill-building, not just screen time.
Additional perspective: serious games + social skills
Systematic reviews of “serious games” (games designed with learning or therapeutic goals) continue to highlight promise for supporting social skill development in autistic youth.
The takeaway: when game experiences are structured with the right supports—coaching, social scaffolding, clear goals, and healthy routines—technology can become a bridge to connection and growth.
Looking ahead: bringing more services to more families in 2026
We’re stepping into 2026 with big energy and even bigger commitment.
Our focus is simple to say, and challenging to do well: bring more services to more families—with the same quality, warmth, and intentionality that makes UESL feel like home to so many.
In 2026, you’ll see UESL continuing to:
expand access across Southern California to strengthen partnerships that support whole-person development (like wellness + movement)
create more moments where families can gather, celebrate, and see their gamers shine
keep raising the standard for what inclusive, IDD-informed technology education can look like
To the people who make UNIFIED possible…
Before we close the book on 2025, we want to say something clearly:
Thank you for believing in IDD individuals. Thank you for believing in community. Thank you for believing that technology can be a doorway—not a barrier—when it’s guided with care.
To our partners, donors, sponsors, and supporters: your generosity fuels real opportunities—coaching time, equipment access, safe spaces, and programming that helps families feel less alone.
And to our UNIFIED families—our parents, guardians, and caregivers—we want to offer the most personal thank you of all. You trust us with what matters most. You show up week after week. You celebrate the tiny wins that turn into life-changing progress. We cherish your families, and we are endlessly grateful to be part of your support system.
Here’s to everything we built in 2025—
and everything we’re going to build together in 2026.
With gratitude,
UNIFIED Esports League
