With a $1 billion market, esports programs at K–12 schools and colleges or universities offer innovative ways to reach students in a tech-rich era. A growing number of K–12 schools are establishing esports programs, and universities are offering top players thousands of dollars in scholarships, but misconceptions persist about competitive video gaming in an educational setting. 

MORE FROM EDTECH: Want to start an esports program at a K–12 school? Get tips at edtechmag.com/StartEsports.

Fallacy: Esports Are Just a Passing Fad

With the current mainstream media buzz about esports, some people may not realize competitive computer gaming started in the 1950s. Another fact: The Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory organized the first official esports video game tournament in 1972, which brought players together to battle in a sci-fi rocket combat game called Spacewar. Since then, access to personal computers and the internet as well as other advancements in technology have supported esports’ growth into a substantial industry with professional teams, high-stakes competitions, team sponsorships and more.

If the history of esports doesn’t indicate its staying power, the modern-day explosion of esports should. Researchers anticipated the global esports market would reach $1 billion in 2019, and project that by 2021, the number of esports viewers will eclipse that of all other major U.S. sports leagues except the NFL. 

Consider the esports boom in K–12 education too: Some school districts report that students are choosing esports clubs over more traditional sports such as football and basketball. More than 1,200 high schools participate in the High School Esports League. 

Fact: Esports Investments Benefit the Whole School

Through esports, students learn digital citizenship, team building, leadership and life skills aligned with academic areas. General skills such as problem-solving learned in an esports environment easily translate to other disciplines. 

Universities and colleges seeking to improve their esports programs recruit top players from high school. At least 50 U.S. colleges offer esports players scholarships ranging from $500 to $8,000 per year.

The benefits of such investments aren’t limited to esports. Schools’ infrastructure improvements that benefit esports typically help other academic areas too, such as science, technology, engineering and math labs. Esports also is a way to foster inclusion among under-represented populations in STEM, as well as those who might lack interest in traditional sports or the physical ability to participate. 

MORE FROM EDTECH: Esports Clubs Expand Learning Opportunities for K–12 Players.

Fallacy: Esports Is Exclusive or Isolating for Students

A common concern is that esports can be highly individualistic, leading students to choose a computer screen over socializing in person. But gaming is often social. A Washington Post-University of Massachusetts Lowell poll released in 2018 found that more than half of teens or young adults play or watch games with friends they know from other activities.