High schools worldwide are welcoming esports. Students are developing gaming clubs where they can compete in trending games, increasing the possibility of gaming being considered a competitive sport among school athletic programs.
For students who don’t excel in traditional sports, esports are a great alternative option. High school esports clubs are becoming an important part of life for students passionate about gaming.
Within the esports club, games including League of Legends, Fortnite, Brawl Stars and Rocket League are becoming just as popular as traditional sports. These clubs provide students with an entertaining environment to display their skills, work as a team and compete in tournaments.
Teacher Janene Murphy is the advisor for the esports club at Pleasant Valley High School. “There is definitely a rise in popularity for esports. People are competing more, watching competitions more–online and even on some TV streaming services. It’s getting bigger on a high school and college level. The number of teams and college scholarships are also growing,” said Murphy.
As esports continue to increase in popularity, controversy of gaming becoming a sport continues to intensify. Numerous schools in the United States have previously partnered with organizations such as PlayVS, which helps organize high school level tournaments with rankings and championships. Some students can even earn scholarships for college esports programs.
Even though some people believe gaming takes no skill and is just for satisfaction, gaming actually requires a similar skill set compared to traditional sports. These skills include hand eye coordination, decision-making, communication and teamwork. Esports coaches watch films of their teams, looking for strategies and weaknesses, just like all of the well known sports.
Murphy believes esports also require similar skills to traditional sports. “As it relates to skill, video games are great for problem-solving, critical thinking, and hand-eye coordination,” Murphy explained. “When working as a team, students get to practice teamwork and communication. It’s good for leadership, too. Players often step up to call shots and set the tone for the team.”
Some high schools have added esports into their athletic programs, hiring coaches, purchasing gaming equipment and building gaming rooms for the teams.
Esports clubs are not only competitive, but they also provide a sense of comfort. Gaming clubs are often filled with an introverted group of students, and this provides players with a chance to socialize with new people and engage in matches against real-life competitors.
Junior Vrayas Pila was once a shy student and never got out of his comfort zone. “I was a very shy kid so I never had the courage to go out and meet new people. I had a lot of interest in gaming so I joined an esports club,” explained Pila. “Once I joined the club, I got to meet a lot of new faces and was able to play against real people instead of bots.”
Although there are many benefits to adding esports to a schools athletic program, some schools are opposed to the idea of esports becoming a serious sport. Some of the main concerns are lack of physical activity, health, sex discrimination, bullying and harassment.
While esports clubs are still debated in many high schools, the increase in popularity is unquestionable. As gaming becomes more popular, schools are more likely to form an established esports team. Especially with colleges offering scholarships for talented gamers just like traditional sports, esports are a contender to join high school athletic programs.
