PlayVS, the startup building esports infrastructure at the high school level, has today announced the close of a $15 million Series A funding round. The financing was led by New Enterprise Associates, with participation from existing investor Science, as well as Cross Culture Ventures, the San Francisco 49ers, Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin, and others. "Our exclusive partnership with the NFHS and NFHS Network was the first step toward creating a league system that will impact millions of kids' lives in an extremely positive way," PlayVS founder and CEO Delane Parnell said in a statement. "Now, with our Series A, we can take all the steps necessary to ensure that our inaugural season is a massive success while being affordable for schools, parents and students across the country." "Like Delane, I grew up in a tough neighborhood, my family used sports to keep me on the right path. PlayVS is uniquely qualified to do the same for today's youth and do so at scale while meeting them at a universal place of interest, gaming. With the birth of PlayVS there is now a clear path from dream to becoming a professional 'e-athlete'. I'm excited to work closely with Delane to further this mission."--Marlon Nichols, Managing Partner at Cross Culture Ventures Press: ESPN, TechCrunch, Forbes, LA Biz Journal, Dot Esports, Moguldom, eSports Observer