Website Updates and Registration Changes

Howdy all, this Peter Quinn from CTEA! I wanted to take the opportunity this week to go over some of the policies and practices we have here at CTEA x Wilton YMCA to keep our gamers happy, healthy, and safe, as well as go over some of the updates to our and YMCA’s website. We are looking forward to getting gamers in person by the end of the month with an official Soft Opening, so without further ado, this is the CTEA Weekly Update #3. Let’s get into it. 

First off I wanted to let everyone know that registration has not officially started, we are not holding programming just yet, though we have plans to open registration prior to our Grand Opening Tournament. Right now we are in Open House mode, where during the week our staff are doing administrative work to get everything running smoothly when we start. As for what that means for our gamers out there, we have Open Hours from 2-6pm, Monday - Friday for anybody who wants to come in and play with our new computers. We aren’t doing official programming just yet so there is no need to be a member of the YMCA to come in, though you will have to sign in at the front desk for the day. If you want to check things out, ask questions in person, or just chill and play a couple games, come on in during those hours and we’ll be happy to get you set up playing any of our titles. 

I also wanted to put up our changes to our and YMCA’s website/general registration before we get into some of our more granular topics. On YMCA’s side the registration page has been updated with the proper times and program prices, with Club Esports being 200/month, our educational After School Programs being 180/month and our social After School Programs being 175/month. YMCA Wilton members will also get a $50 discount, reflecting the rough price of a membership to the Y. For anyone considering getting a Y membership, it is important to know that you don’t have to be a resident of Wilton, Norwalk, or Redding to become a member here. The price for becoming a Y member depends on the package that you select, but for a youth option it is approximately $41 a month, and comes with all the benefits of being a member at the Wilton Y, from the pools, fields, courts, and work out facilities, and Y members get 3 free Open PC time sessions with CTEA a month. 

On our side of things, we have been making some changes to our website, from the programs page to the new about page. Our programs page now has links directly to the registration portal on YMCAs website for each program we offer (though you can register now, we ask that you don’t until we officially start programming, the date of which will be in next week's CWU). We also have a new about page which includes a master list of our policies, featuring topics like our Remote Policy, Membership Policy, and more that will be added throughout the weeks. There is also a Feedback Form in the about section to send any questions you have directly to our staff.  So shoot over comments, questions, or concerns you have there or if there are any game suggestions or program suggestions. 

The newest addition to the website is our policies section, which will be a link to our google doc outlining all of our policies here at Wilton designed to keep our gamers safe, healthy, and continuing on their journey to be the best gamers they can be. The one I want to take some time to highlight is our maturity filters and age suggestion policy, which has little to do with our gamers but rather a promise we make to all our participants and their families. We have strict maturity filters on our computers that are designed to keep our gamers interacting with age appropriate material both in game and on the internet. Our age suggestions for programs are based on our own learned experience having coached adolescent esports for the past 3.5 years, as well as the suggestions and consideration of parents online through Common Sense Media and ESRB recommendations. Be sure that by following these guidelines your child is in safe hands here at CTEA. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns however please let us know by filling out our Feedback Form in the About section. We care a lot about making gaming accessible for all and making sure everyone has an opportunity to chase their passion in a safe environment. 

Beyond that I wanted to end off by saying I'm really excited to see everyone in person soon. CTEA should be officially opening within the next couple weeks, with registration coming first, then a Grand Opening Tournament to mark the occasion. Thanks for reading this and have a great week. Next week's CWU should include info on our discord, a date for everyone to have the go ahead to register, and plans for our upcoming Grand Opening (date and tournament). Enjoy the first look at our new flyer the lovely folks at YMCA Wilton have made for us up above, and feel free to share it with the gamers in your life looking for some competition, gaming education, or looking for a spot to play games with people in person!