How are video games going to benefit students? What are students learning? Why should we have esports in schools? Well, how does learning to play the trumpet or being on the football team translate into a life skill? We know that members of the band or a sports team learn organizational skills, cognitive reasoning, collaborative skills, creative thinking, self discipline, goal setting and perseverance. Most importantly, though, we know that these students have a place to fit in at school. They have something to look forward to during their school day. They know they are part of something. When they show up in the lunchroom, they have a group of friends to sit with.

There are many intangible skills that students learn in school that don’t always equal an exact career connection, but these skills are often what make students most employable. It’s hard to teach perseverance to students unless they fail. In esports, students fail and lose all the time, but they continue to try until they win, or at the least improve. Perseverance helps make students more resilient in life, as well as better employees. When educators help students make occupational connections to esports, they are not just connecting students to a career, educators are also helping students connect what they learn in school to valuable skills they can use throughout their lives.