About

Success with esports has fostered growth in many areas:

• Game developers are investing more into the development of esports video games due to popularity, economic potential.

• Increasing popularity alongside traditional sports attracting investment from large corporations and sponsors.

  • E.g., NFL owners creating the Overwatch league and creating franchises for teams.

• The success of the Gaming Industry is a key inspiration for many students to take Computer Science.

There is a vibrant global gaming community invested in esports:

• Unlike traditional sports there is regular interaction between professional players and viewers through online livestreams of gameplay, mainly through the platform Twitch.tv.

• Large organizers and sponsors also encouraging local tournaments e.g. Local Super Smash Bros scene emerging in Edmonton and Alberta (Facebook, 2019).

NAIT hosted their first esports tournament in late March 2019 (Delitala).

How do Esports Benefit our Students?

There are three main benefits to our students: skill development, community, and financial viability.

Esports promote many of the same values present in traditional sports such as teamwork, sportsmanship, strategy, and communication. Since competitors can compete as a team, competition can help students develop precise levels of communication required for competitive play as students can learn the value of all the different roles on a team. eSports encourage perseverance, self-growth while boosting personal confidence. Competition can foster a feeling of pride and connection amongst competitors.

Esports are an inclusive opportunity as this type of competition allows students who won't, don't, or can't compete in traditional high school athletics a chance to represent their school at competition. Esports affords the creation of a new community within the school to get more students involved. This team can create a sense of belonging for students who may otherwise feel isolated in the school environment. A student who may struggle finding a peer group within which they belong can meet peers with similar hobbies and interests not just within their school but across the district during tournaments and events. Students can build strong relationships with a teacher/mentor which can help them to feel connected and supported at school. Students develop a sense of efficacy and build self-esteem as they learn and practice new skills (both gaming-related and social skills). In addition, the nature of eSports allows for mixed gender participation on an equal basis. As a side benefit, involving students in organizing and hosting tournaments provides real-world learning in areas of hospitality, IT networking, promotion and marketing so that even if they are not playing in the tournament, there are still ways to be involved.

Esports are becoming financially lucrative for students. The esports industry earned over $500 million in 2016 (Global News). The industry has shown tremendous growth and earned $1.5 billion in 2017 (SuperData). Scholarships have been created for post-secondary bound students who participate in eSports (CBC, 2018; Wallach, 2017). Last year, in the Overwatch League, players earned salaries between $80,000 to $120,000 US per player (Dexerto, 2017).