February 16, 2023 - ASHBURN, VA – Led by MVP Track and Field in cooperation with the US Cyber Games®, the MVP VIBE FEST will take place February 18, 2023, at the Gately Park Track and Field Center in Chicago, IL. The program will bridge the gap between athletics and technology by exposing some of the top US track and field athletes to the world of cybersecurity and cyber sports while competing for awards in their sport.
MVP VIBE FEST will attract thousands of the best athletes in the nation, including college-bound and nationally-ranked high schoolers. The track meet serves as a qualifier for the NIKE Indoor Nationals. Unique to this track meet is its ability to promote opportunities beyond athletics to this top group of performers.
“We need to energize the track and field community and use it as a platform to open doors. Our unique meet format and partnership with the US Cyber Games allows us to do just that,” states Maurice Hutton, USATF Region 3 Coordinator | VA Youth Chair.
“This USATF-sanctioned event not only provides an excellent opportunity for youth to compete alongside some of the top performing youth track athletes but also learn from our country's top cybersecurity athletes. It provides a unique bridge to both high performance junior and elite programs as well as high tech college degrees and careers helping to grow well-rounded athletes on and off the track,” Jacci White, USATF National Youth Chair.
MVP VIBE FEST seeks to introduce cybersecurity and data analytics careers to high-performing track and field athletes, coaches, and fans. Critical to national security and economic growth, developing a workforce pipeline outside of traditional educational recruiting will help to close a global cybersecurity workforce gap. Track and cyber athletes are used to operating in a digital environment with precision-based metrics and also share many characteristics that will allow them to successfully serve in roles such as security analysts, penetration testers, and digital forensics investigators. All athletes are encouraged to sign up and try their hand in the Cyber Exhibit Hall after completing their race - NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!
“Today’s generation of track athletes possess high levels of perseverance and dedication, understand the importance of agile thinking and have the familiarity of using technology as a means to achieving a goal”, states Jessica Gulick, US Cyber Games Commissioner. “Track and field athletics also present a similarity to cybersecurity teams given that their goals are frequently both individual as well as team-based. Similar to the approach which global cybersecurity practices necessitate today, these athletes present a great opportunity to recruit and train as the cybersecurity business leaders of tomorrow.”
As an added bonus, attendees of the event will have the opportunity to meet athletes from the US Cyber Team® who will be representing the United States at the International Cybersecurity Championship and Conference (IC3) in San Diego this summer!
Sponsors of MVP Vibe Fest include MVP League, US Cyber Games, ASM Global, and the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation (NSAF). Sponsorship, advertising, and exhibiting opportunities are available. More information is available at https://www.mvpvibefest.com/.
The mission of the MVP League is to develop track and field and road running athletes of all levels from elementary age to pro athletes. Through athletics, we provide positive images and opportunities to demonstrate that we can achieve all we desire in life and sports through hard work, dedication, and a competitive spirit.
The US Cyber Games was founded by Katzcy in cooperation with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Cybergames help foster industry awareness and skills development for rising talent and upskilling/reskilling current professionals. The US Cyber Team®, along with over 200+ cyber athletes from over 64 countries, will again be representing the United States in the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC) held this year in San Diego, California, July 31–August 4, 2023.
Katzcy is a social impact company committed to helping build a diverse and high-performing tech and cybersecurity community through impactful marketing strategies for tech firms and skill-oriented tech competitions for the workforce. As a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Katzcy is dedicated to growth, innovation, and progress. Through our PlayCyber line of business, Katzcy hosts epic life-changing games such as US Cyber Games, Wicked6, PlayCyber Global League, and much more.