A New World of Sports

At first thought video games and school seem like an unlikely combination. But the pageantry of Friday night lights and other traditional sports will have to make room for a new competition -- esports.

Defined as any video game played competitively, esports are becoming increasingly popular in schools across America. As administrators search for ways to provide more of its student body with opportunities to be apart of a team, compete, and possibly even earn a scholarship esports presents opportunity.

Connecticut was the first state to bring esports to life. The Connecticut Association of Sports and the Electronic Gaming Federation partnered together to allow students to represent their schools in video game competitions. The first season served as a beta season for the state in the fall of 2017. The following spring Connecticut embarked in its inaugural season allowing students to compete playing the popular online game League of Legends.

Josh Rosado a sophomore from Bridgeport, Connecticut attends a school that does not offer esports. He is an avid League of Legends fan and admits playing for hours at a time.

Rosada lights up at the idea of being able to constructively play esports and compete for his school. The 10th grade student’s frame is barely five feet tall and the student looks like he weighs no more than 100 pounds soaking wet with rocks in his pockets.

As he explains the computer console game League of Legends through a series of YouTube highlights Rosado details the purpose of the game. Teams battle as magical creatures to through various virtual maps to capture the opposing teams prized possession, the nexus.

League of Legends at quick glance may look like a futuristic version of Dungeons and Dragons but that game is a world wide phenomena, played by over 27 million people daily. Also, a 2013 report produced by SuperData Research determines that the online game garnered over $624 million dollars in revenue, although the game is free to play online.

Traditional team sports don’t pique Rosado’s interests, he says, “If we had an esports team it could allow less physically talented people a chance.”

This chance will be provided to millions through PlayVS.

PlayVS a California science based startup that has a mission to support esports. A historic partnership between the National Federation of State High School Associations and PlayVS will help regulate and bring infrastructure to gaming as a sport. The NFHS which in many ways acts as the NCAA of high school sports will be able to help improve the experience for students athletes and establish consistent standards.

PlayVS has also backed the NFHS by raising $45 million dollars in two rounds of fundraising and investors. This is impressive and speaks to the optimistic future surrounding esports.

Currently seven states are participating in esports where athletes are able to compete for a state championship. Six states offer esports as a club sport and Texas currently offers both, club and team sports.

After Connecticut’s beta season the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference began using the PlayVS online platform for competition. This allows teams to compete versus each other in the regular season without leaving the four walls of their school.

With the growing number of colleges offering scholarship for esports and the need for STEM programming in schools, the partnership will allow esports to become accessible to the masses. Although this partnership is groundbreaking, many schools still do no offer esports, and may not for some time.

“The problem is there are still 60-year-old athletic directors who last played video games in an arcade.” says Chris Boucher an inclusion educator.

B

oucher is a former volunteer coach for Norwalk High School esports club, he explains that although there are more resources than in the past to play video games in school, it is still difficult for schools to house teams. There is still a social stigma that video games do not belong in school and can be detrimental to the health of students.

For Norwalk High School, Boucher recalls that the esports club was a way to get students involved who didn’t play football or marched in the band on Friday nights.

“It was a way to get the student involved who would normally be left out of sports.” Boucher explains.

But not all schools are quick to establish esports programs. Athletic directors and administration must make the decision to utilize the PlayVS online platform and create teams. Much of the pushback is the idea that video games don't belong in schools and could possibly create a culture of violence.

In a press conference following the Parkland, Fla. school shooting President Trump eluded to violent movies and video games being a possible reason for the increase in shootings. This a familiar narrative, one that has been heard since the 1999 Columbine High School mass shooting.

An academic journal published by The American Academy of Pediatrics explored the relationship between violent media and children. The AAP admits that violent media has been woven into a child’s upbringing since comical cartoons but do caution that it is a horrible example for children. They suggest “media diets” for children and limiting the exposure to violent images.

This may be the reason why the combination of video games and school doesn’t make sense, especially when students are essentially beating each other until virtual death.

With no clear direct link to video games and violent behaviors the positive outcomes of esports must be explored. Increasing the population of students involved in school activities like at Norwalk High, STEM engagement, and developing the discipline that it takes to be apart of a team, and most importantly providing an opportunity for success like Rosado, who may never see it playing football.

And then there's the possibility of becoming a top esports players in your area and earning a college scholarship. Essentially a College or University providing some type of financial support for students to access higher education.

Like high school esports, the gaming world is spreading like wildfire in the world of college sports. Over 200 colleges and universities have been offering scholarships to top high school players. These players can be discovered similarly through highlight films like other traditional sports. PlayVS will also allow schools to track results and be searching ground for colleges when wanting to recruit the best student athletes.

The University of Utah is a pioneering program becoming the first school belonging to a Power 5 conference to establish a team. The Salt Lake City university already has a top ranked Entertainment Arts & Engineering program and seen the chance to grow that into a esports team. According to the schools website the institution wants students to become “thinkers, makers, and players.”

NCAA enforcement staff member Brandon Sartin says it’s going to be interesting to see the role esports plays in the landscape of college sports. He predicts that in the near future esports could be one of the top 5 largest revenue producing sports.

“If I’m an AD I'm getting an esports team today.” Sartin says excitedly.

He explains that video games have a global reach and it could provide schools, especially ones less known for athletics to increase enrollment and campus morale.

Then there's the extremely low cost of investment it takes to start an esports program compared to other sports. Football which is the top generating sport in the NCAA has numerous cost to start a program like coaches salaries, equipment, facilities and most importantly recruiting which can run a college millions of dollars. Esport programs have a low cost with high returns on investment, especially since the industry is rapidly growing.

Esports is new for everyone involved, players, high schools, colleges, conferences, and even game makers.

There is still a huge grey area around how the NCAA may regulate and create restrictions around video games. Video game developers would be less likely inclined to have their products regulated by the NCAA. This could impact how and when players could play in other epsorting game competitions and tournaments that offer winners huge payouts.

Traditionally college athletes are not allowed to receive payment for their play when receiving assistance from their institutions. Many students will have to make a decision. This is important because a gamer may want to explore the possibility of earning money for their talents, rather than forfeiting their right by accepting a scholarship.

Why not play professionally after college like other college sports, some may ask. It may not be most beneficial for a gamer to do so. Like any athlete, gamers have a window when they will be at their peak performance and eventually skills do decline.

“Fast twitch muscles start diminishing at 17.” reveals Sartin.

This could push student gamers to begin playing professionally sooner and eventually opting out of college esports completely. Those opting out would be top level gamers who have exhibited the most talent.

According to Sartin, “a marketable product needs top players.”

If the best players aren’t playing in college then the appeal of the sport could be too low for schools to want to take a chance on launching programs. Video games is a clearly established industry and the NCAA is swimming in uncharted waters.

Entertainment Software Associates produced a reported in 2015 that 155 million Americans play video games and on average each household has on average two gamers. Video game sales also surpassed $15 billion dollars in total sales that same year.

The intersection between video games and traditional sports is new territory for many. There are several kinks that need to be worked out and stigmas that must be overcome at the high school level, yet esports is still rapidly growing.

It’s clear, video games are not going anywhere anytime soon and will continue to evolve.

Maybe it is time that schools evolve with them and walk into the new world of sports.