Frequently Asked Questions
As a parent, it is definitely daunting to see your child participate in Esports. There are many who question "Why is my student playing video games in class?" and there are many who doubt the legitimacy of Esports in the classroom.
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This page will hopefully address all your concerns about your student's participation in Esports.
What is Esports?
The term "Esports" stands for Electronic Sports and is treated in many ways similar to regular sports like football. Instead of on the field, Esports athletes compete in videogames; building communities, learning teamwork, and training just like the traditional athletes.
Why Esports?
Enjoyment
A child might be interested in Esports simply because they enjoy playing videogames. In a way, they can turn this hobby or interest into something bigger.
Benefits
Like sports, there are many risks and benefits to Esports. As more research is done and the Esports field expands, there is more available knowledge about what Esports can bring.
Career
Don't just shrug off Esports as only playing videogames. The popularity of Esports is increasing, and there are many teams out in the world who have players competing, each paid a high salary.
Risks
Indeed, too much of anything is not healthy, and moderation is required in every activity.
There is no denying that there are cases of videogame addiction, or that too much screen time would put a strain on a person's eyes. Improper posture when sitting combined with the length of games or training sessions can lead to back pains and other injuries.
Unmoderated communities can create toxicity and echo chambers.
Benefits and Addressing Risks
There is no malicious intent directed towards the child - no sane adult would purposefully want someone to be addicted to anything, nor would they want to promote unhealthy behaviors.
There are steps taken to ensure both the safety of the students and that they do not neglect their studies. In fact, many of the benefits include addressing these risks that parents assume would be inherent to Esports.
Grades
There is little to worry about with grades when a student participates in the Esports club. While it is reasonable to think that studies might be neglected, the opposite actually happens.
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Thanks to the passing of the Texas House Bill 72 (The select text can be found on the bottom of page 125) in 1984, now more popularly known as the "No Pass, No Play" bill, students who do not make a passing grade are prohibited from participating in club activities, such as Esports.
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In fact, an article published in the T|H|E Journal (Technological Horizons in Education, Vol. 46, Issue 2)
shows that for students participating in Esports their "attendance has gone up, and their GPA has gone up".
Community
Another worry that parents have about students participating in Esports is the thought that videogames are an anti-social and solitary activity, that there are better uses of time than Esports.
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However, on the contrary, Esports is actually a very engaging activity that promotes communication.
According to the Coalition of Parents in Esports, 80% of the children who are in Esports would have not join other activities.
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The act of being in a club with people with shared interests allow the student to much easily form friends. Not only that, but Esports itself inherently develops a student's communication skills, since games often require teamwork, callouts, and communication between teammates. An example of this can be seen in the professional matches played.
Digital Citizenship
Due to the prevalence of more and more digital devices in our lives, it is essential to maintain good digital citizenship.
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Esports in school differ from regular gaming in many ways, and one of the biggest changes is the existence of moderation and teaching students about the importance of being a good digital citizen.
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By making the act of playing videogames a school activity, teachers and coaches are able to discourage bad habits in students, such as swearing and other unsavory language, and promote respectful behavior.
Screen Time
There are concerns students spend too much time on videogames, and that they should not spend school time playing, or that the club would require them to play more hours at home.
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The Esports club actually does not require the student to spend much time on games, only needing the typical member to spend around 2 hours per week for each game that they participate in.
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Along with that, the Esports club is an extracurricular club, which means its daily activities does not eat into school hours, it only requires student participation after school.