The rise of eSports

It’s possible you’ve heard of eSports, the video game competition platform that pits professional and amateur teams against each other in real time strategy, battle arena, battle royal and more games.

School athletic departments have an opportunity to adopt eSports into curriculum to benefit students and the school as a whole.

Kids who play are more likely to participate in other aspects of school life and earn a better GPA.

Students who feel marginalized may find camaraderie within eSports as the department offers inclusion for students with varied interests. Including video game competitions into school athletic departments can also better the school’s overall climate, and allow for the athletic department to support its student population with more diverse offerings.

So how can you implement eSports into your athletic department? Follow the lead of Kurt Melcher, a former college soccer player with 20+ years experience as a college coach and associate AD at Robert Morris University. RMU was the first University to recognize eSports as a sport, and offer athletic scholarships for eSports.

If universities are embracing eSports, it makes sense for high schools to follow suit, preparing kids for these available scholarships and other opportunities within the eSports world.

As an added benefit, giving weight to eSports within the school culture can give more kids the skills learned from playing team sports including dedication, perseverance, teamwork and more.

From an educational standpoint, video games improve visual acuity and attention, foster scientific reasoning, accelerate language learning, improve digital and print literacy, increase problem-solving skills, are associated with higher math achievement and help kids achieve technology fluency.

With more than 400 club teams and 60 varsity teams, colleges are also embracing eSports. In total, more than $9 million is awarded to students who play eSports.

Scholarship money has almost doubled each year for the last 4 years, and Marquette will become the first Power 5 Conference school to have an eSports team under the direction of an athletic department and college scholarships starting in Fall 2019.

So why are schools embracing eSports? Video games can set kids up for career success later in life. Playing video games creates an aptitude for technology. Kids who like video games may become business developers, journalists, IT employees, event organizers, analysts and more.

Do you know what companies employ these individuals? Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Amazon, Apple, Dell and more.

Want to get involved? The CIF E-League offers two seasons of play—spring and fall—with one to two games offered per season of sport.

The league caters to 6-10 teams organized by CIF sections with one to two competitions available each week. Post season includes both section and state invitationals for the top-performing teams.

In addition, students have the opportunity to play LAN events, where players gather in one spot to compete as individuals or in teams.

What is the financial investment for an opportunity like this? Player fees are typically low and staff needs are minimal, making it easier for high schools to integrate eSports into athletic departments.

In most cases the existing technology and software is already compatible with eSport videogames, too, keeping upfront expenses low.

ESports also creates opportunities for schools to select its own games, set participation guidelines that encourage kids to perform academically and integrate education surrounding healthy lifestyles and technology overuse.

Want to learn more? Contact CIF and ask about the E-League initiative.