Do esports belong in high school? In a rapidly growing number of high schools, gamers are the new jocks. School districts are scrambling to approve esports clubs and competitive teams. Breathless articles—sometimes written by tech industry representatives—tout how popular esports has become among Gen Z, how esports drives STEM education, and how much money can be made from a career in esports.
WIRED OPINIONABOUTJason Chung (@ChungSports) is a visiting clinical assistant professor at NYU’s Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport, where he spearheads study on the business of esports. An attorney by training, he writes about issues at the intersection of sports, technology, and health.
Embracing esports has also brought predictable consternation. For instance, opposition politicians in Canada have tried to score political points against the government by claiming that esports programs in high school may promote cyber-dependence. Others argue that they don’t know if esports should be considered a sport. As Illinois high school esports coach Amy Whitlock noted, “People do not view esports as a legitimate sport and say it’s not a productive activity.”
These reductive arguments are short-sighted and betray a fundamental misunderstanding of the potential risks and benefits of esports in schools. Esports is neither cure-all nor curse for engaging students. Like any activity, the devil is in the execution. How esports is implemented in schools by politicians and administrators will have an impact on whether our youth get the best version—one that is healthy, safe, and balanced.
Leveraging esports responsibly in schools depends on properly defining “esports.” Politicians, educators, and parents alike should recognize that esports isn’t just about video gaming. Esports is the recognition of video gaming as a source of competitive play within a structured group environment. Contrary to outdated stereotypes about video gamers being unhealthy, solitary, and slovenly young people, esports has largely become about bringing a healthy, social, and structured form of team play to the video games industry. Professional esports organizations like Gen.G are investing big money into upscale training facilities that allow for the necessary development of positive group dynamics in an environment complete with wellness professionals such as nutritionists, personal trainers, and physical therapists. By embracing esports, schools can capitalize upon its organic growth and draw students away from uninteractive, sedentary avenues of entertainment towards an activity that can instill common values and principles.
Among those values is that physical and mental activity and wellness is key to quality esports play. Just like any competitive pursuit, esports organizations have found that taking health and wellness seriously helps athletes be more competitive and lengthen their careers by mitigating against injuries and mental exhaustion. Increasingly, they are using the same strategies as traditional sports: gym training, preventive stretching and testing to prevent against repetitive injuries, limiting training hours to fight against mental fatigue, and focusing on proper diet and sleep.
