Key points:
Ask most parents if their child's school should start an esports team, and they'll likely hesitate. Video games? In the classroom? Absolutely not!
Why it piles up quickly. Some people worry that their children may spend less time doing schoolwork and more time on screens. Others fear what their children will see and hear while playing online games. There are many people who don't even know what esports means.
I’ve seen up close how these concerns are fading away as esports become more and more prevalent in education. At Mira Mesa High School in San Diego, California, where he started an esports program, teacher Brandon Trieu has proven that esports are a valuable addition to the classroom through the success of the team he coaches, the Mira Mesa Marauders. This instills important leadership, critical thinking and communication skills that students will carry with them throughout their education. Teachers and administrators in schools across America recognize the same lesson.
“I don’t see any downside to it. I have seen children pay more attention to their grades. They want to be a part of something,” says Trieu. “I don’t know if the school doesn’t want the family environment we’ve created here.”
Research conducted by the UC Irvine Connected Learning Lab shows that esports programs offer students all the benefits of traditional athletics, including increased engagement, higher GPAs, and a deeper sense of community. Supporting esports in education empowers students to develop a passion for technology and innovation while allowing schools to integrate powerful hardware into their STEM and STEAM curriculum.
When a school invests in an esports team, it is investing in high-quality hardware that is also integrated into its STEM and STEAM programs. This means students have more opportunities to gain practical experience and learn the skills they need. PCs and laptops used in esports are equipped with cutting-edge features such as high-performance processors, graphics cards, RAM, and solid-state drives to seamlessly transition into the classroom so students can pursue their careers and hobbies. Resource-intensive applications. A UC Irvine study found that many of the skills students develop through participation in esports also translate to STEAM and STEM career tracks. “This applies not only to the gaming industry, but also to data science, software and web development, social media marketing, and event organization.”
This may come as a surprise to teachers and school administrators who are more familiar with classic games like Pac-Man than Valorant or League of Legends, but the rise of esports in education is a significant part of it, along with the widespread popularity of competitive esports. Universities like the University of Miami, which boasts one of the best collegiate esports programs in the country, offer scholarships to students who compete on their teams. The North American Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) has developed a framework for schools to start their own teams, providing a foundation of support to train teachers to become coaches.
For students, esports teams are a way to connect with peers and mentors through a shared passion. According to a Deloitte study, roughly three in 10 Gen Zers say gaming is their favorite form of entertainment, and 70% say gaming provides social and emotional benefits because it helps them stay connected to others. Researchers at UC Irvine reached a similar conclusion. They found that when students participate in their school's esports team, “there is a significant sense of connectedness at all levels of the program, from the team to the club to peers to the league as a whole.”
Success stories like Mira Mesa High School are not unusual but a sign of a growing trend. Amy Whitlock, a teacher and coach at Oswego East High School in Oswego, Illinois, played a similar role in engaging underrepresented students through esports.
Students are proud to compete for their school's esports team, which Whitlock believes creates deeper connections between themselves, their peers, teachers and the community. “They want to come to school. They want to be in school. They want to work in different classes,” she says.
Of course, schools can't just point fingers at creating esports teams. It is a complex process that requires budget, space, infrastructure and equipment, just like traditional sports. Based on our experience, we recommend following four best practices to help you set up a successful program.
1. Identify the core goals of your esports program.
What skills do you want your team to develop? How many students can you accommodate? What grade levels are invited to participate? How often does the team meet, practice, and compete? Answering these questions first will give you a clear roadmap.
2. Every team’s equipment requirements are unique.
Find a trusted hardware partner with experience implementing high-quality devices that can help you determine equipment requirements based on your program goals. For schools with dedicated space, such as a computer lab, desktop PCs are a smart way to maximize your investment. In schools where space is at a premium, laptops are an effective way to prioritize flexibility.
3. Program ambition is a key factor.
Casual clubs with limited budgets should focus on equipment that ensures smooth gameplay, while teams looking to compete and win tournaments should look for high-performance hardware. Consider each piece of equipment. High-refresh rate monitors, mechanical keyboards, and gaming mice give you a competitive edge, while infrastructure upgrades like Ethernet jacks and powerful electrical supplies that provide reliable power and connectivity are necessary for everyone from enthusiasts to league champions.
4. Above all, it is important to have a motivated coach leading the effort.
Every school is almost guaranteed to have a student willing to join its team, but every program needs a leader like Trieu or Whitlock who is committed to fighting for the interests of students and lobbying for the budget, space, and equipment the team needs to succeed. do.
Myths about esports are still prevalent. But that is no longer a reason to sit on the sidelines. As more and more schools start their own teams and strengthen their STEM and STEAM programs, they will discover what Mira Mesa High School and Oswego East High School already know: Esports do not detract from the student experience. They enrich it.