What once were classified as distractions by parents and teachers are now celebrated as a new type of sport with benefits extending beyond school hours.

Electronic sports (esports) takes the competitive nature of racing, sports, battle, and operative video games to hold formal tournaments where teams practice and train together like any other sport. But unlike physical sports, esports can be versatile in location, have lower startup costs, and attract a wider range of students with the availability of hybrid play.

Much like sandbox games, such as Minecraft or Roblox, schools have the potential to scale esports however they desire. From small clubs based in computer labs to formal teams competing in out-of-state tournaments, esports can change the way schools engage and connect with students.

What Game Sorts Are Included in Esports?

Students are likely familiar with the variety of competitive games, but schools may be apprehensive, especially for games with violence as the primary objective like First-Person Shooter (FPS) games.¹

However, there are plenty of age-appropriate gaming options, with some schools opting for certain games to be played only at home or excluded from clubs entirely.

Some of the main esports categories and games include:

Battle/Fighting: Super Smash Bros, Street Fighter, Fortnite, and League of Legends

Sports: Madden, NBA 2K

Driving/Racing: Rocket League, Mario Kart

FPS: Apex Legends, Overwatch, Valorant, Halo, and Splatoon (third-person point-of-view shooter game)

Some games are free to play and compete in, but others require one-time purchases or ongoing subscriptions. Organizations like the Network of Academic And Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF), XP League, PlayVS, and High School Esports League offer free resources for getting started along with access to both paid and no-cost competitions.

Players can compete against each other within their school clubs or with other schools nationwide, with remote and in-person tournaments possible. A team coach can monitor activity to ensure online safety, with peer teacher coaches available for remote school staff training.

What do Esports Cost?

Although schools may already have PCs that are gaming-compatible, there are many ways to customize esports spaces as teams grow.

PC model, internet speed, and framerate (the number of images displayed in a second) requirements vary based on the game, but basic cross-platform games, like Fortnite or Rocket League, can be played using different client installations like Steam, Epic Games, and Riot Games.

The wide availability of PC-compatible games is a benefit of esports, making startup costs minimal with optional gaming consoles ranging in device and gaming subscription pricing.

A portable Nintendo Switch averages at $300 with individual game pricing, newer PlayStation models price between $400-$500 with PlayStation Plus game subscriptions costing between $100-$200 annually depending on features, and Xbox consoles priced around $500 with $10-$20 monthly game pass subscription options.

Used devices can reduce expenses to allow for investments in internet speed, custom-built PCs, headphones, gaming chairs, mouses, and other environmental additions.

What Can Schools Do to Make Gaming Actively Engaging?

For concerns regarding physical health and the sedentary nature of gaming, schools can install adjustable height desks with the dual purpose of allowing students to stand while gaming and also providing accessibility for students with physical disabilities.² Esports teams can also collaborate with physical education departments to facilitate the use of walking pads or under-desk exercise machines as a supplement to gaming.

Spaces can be designed with large screens and seating for spectators or can be intimate with minimal PC cooling space between students to enable collaboration and discussion. Lighting can also be adjusted to avoid glare but prevent eye strain from prolonged screen time in poorly lit spaces.

Esports rooms have no set measurement or field guidelines, like football or baseball do, and are inherently durable due to their indoor nature, making it an opportunity for stakeholders and students to get engaged in the design.

How to Integrate Esports Design Gamification with Student Education

Schools can use esports for interdisciplinary learning and to provide real-world experiences for IT, event planning, and management.

Students may be active in the design, procurement, and installation process of esports rooms. Providing knowledge in how budgets function, researching product quality and dimensions, and technical aspects of lighting and sound systems. Tech literacy is also inherently part of esports, with students learning about the interaction between PC components on performance and how to troubleshoot issues.

Teams can also organize tournaments, design promotional materials for player recruitment, and create branded shirts to practice aspects of marketing, project management, and graphic design.

Moreover, esports can encourage participation from students who may have yet to consider sports, and with small startup costs, registration fees would be minimal giving students with limited home access to gaming an additional opportunity for learning and participation.

Schools have also recognized the positive value of esports for students on scholarship availability, accessibility, communication, motivation, and leadership.³

Winning With Esports

Despite students not breaking a sweat, they can still break records with esports.

School leaders can use video games as a new point of entry for getting students excited about learning and giving them a space they look forward to going to every week.

From single-player racing to team-based battles, athletes can engage with their interests while developing real-world skills. All with limited startup costs and minimal maintenance, it’s game over for boring school days.

1. Beiter, S. (2019, March). Developing an Esports program. New York State Education Department. https://www.nysed.gov/edtech/rensselaer-city-school-district-developing-esports-program
2. Trotter MG, Coulter TJ, Davis PA, Poulus DR and Polman R (2022) Examining the Impact of School Esports Program Participation on Student Health and Psychological Development. Front. Psychol. 12:807341. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.807341
3. Zhong, Y., Guo, K. & Chu, S.K.W. Affordances and constraints of integrating esports into higher education from the perspectives of students and teachers: An ecological systems approach. Educ Inf Technol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12482-9

Amairani Asmad is a writer who has researched areas ranging from education to neurodiversity across the entire age spectrum. Her work can be found in school-targeted publications and peer-focused resource blogs. Amairani is also a Penn State University alumna with a B.S. in Rehabilitation and Human Services.