15 Reasons Why Schools Should Include And Embrace Esports

Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco

Esports has grown a lot since the first national competition in the 1980s. Though the first national contest with 10,000 different players was a big step for esports, most of the current esports community will likely not even remember the game they played, space invaders. Since the 2000s, the popularity of Esports in schools has grown. So, why should schools embrace and include Esports?

There are a variety of advantages for schools that include and embrace Esports, including better mental health for students and a lot more recognition for the school. In addition, there are other benefits such as improved teamwork of students and a cut of prize money for the school.

Since Esports is on the rise, there is little reason for a school not to include and embrace the trend. However, we know change isn’t easy, and sometimes you need reasons to embrace new things. For that purpose, I have made the time to list 15 good reasons schools should accept and incorporate Esports, as they prove to be beneficial to the school and students.

1. Esports Improves Teamwork

Since most Esports require you to work with teammates to achieve a common goal, Esports is a great way to improve students’ teamwork skills. Teamwork skills include improved communication, collaboration, and utilizing every team member in a position best suited to their way of playing. These skills are all essential for an excellent after-school career.

2. Esports Improve Mental Health

By offering students an activity they can use to vent frustration, schools can help their students achieve better mental health. When young people have something they enjoy focusing on, it gives them a chance to escape from reality for a while, which can help clear their heads and improve their ability to deal with trauma while also improving mental health. 

3. Increasing The Schools Impact Through Esports

Offering Esports programs or allowing students to participate in Esports via their schools’ network enable the school to show an interest in their students’ lives. This also allows the school to have a more significant impact on the community. The school can even become more desirable than schools that do not offer such programs.

4. Esports Can Nurture Interests In Help With Job Opportunities

Whether your student is interested in the art used in a video game, wants to learn how to code and create their own, or seeks to become a professional, Esports programs can help them nurture their interests and help them with possible job opportunities. Since the gaming scene is unlikely to stop soon, a student interested in this industry can build a successful career.

5. Esports Help With Brain Development

In addition to the teamwork skills, students can improve by partaking in Esports, taking part in these can also improve other areas of brain development. Since the pandemic in 2020 kept children from school, many developers started making educational games or education additions to their already created games. These games usually help students have a better understanding of basic concepts.

6. Esports Allow Students To Learn New Skills

One example of a game that allows students to learn new skills, and one that is on the Esports spectrum, is Minecraft. Minecraft, even the non-educational version, will enable students to better understand mechanical systems and coding through Redstone systems. For example, Minecraft has allowed people in the past to build functioning computers through Redstone, thereby expanding their knowledge.

7. Esports Create A Community And Pride

Being part of a team that can achieve goals is a massive part of every student’s school career. However, this might not be possible if a student isn’t exactly athletic or drama orientated. The introduction of Esports in a school allows more students to form teams and participate in “school activities,” creating a sense of pride, community, and accomplishment.

8. Creating An Interest In STEAM With Esports

In addition to teaching students new skills and helping them expand their possible career choices, esports also introduce them to some STEM concepts. Not only are there games that help students understand scientific concepts through gameplay, but the way games work also improves knowledge and nurtures an interest in the human mind, how coding works, and other STEAM-related topics.

9. Improve Student’s Social Skills Through Esports

One of the most significant impacts Esports has on a student is the improvement of social skills. Since Esports allows students to make friends and meet new people through tournaments, they will interact with more people and broaden their understanding of the social world, which can be a great benefit after school. This factor alone can also help students that struggle with making friends usually.

10. Esports Can Help Challenging Students Understand

One of the simplest ways to help a student understand an academic concept is through piquing their interest and explaining it on a more understandable level. One effective strategy to do this is through games and Esports. If a student doesn’t understand a concept, but there is a game that focuses on it, this can be a helpful teaching tool.

11. Esports Can Help A School With Money

If a school can make students interested in Esports, there can also be some monetary gain for the school. Not only can tournaments help fund the school through prize money, but fundraisers and such are also more likely to succeed if the students are engaged and care about the school or school activities.

12. Enhance A Students Chance Of Scholarship Through Esports

Though this might seem strange, many colleges and universities have taken an interest in Esports and will pay to have a good team member. Suppose you need an extra incentive for embracing Esports in your schools. In that case, you can also put the prize money towards after-school education for Esports participants or the less fortunate.

13. Esports Can Improve School Discipline

Though this might seem unlikely, Esports has shown to be a way to improve discipline under troubled students. Though some students might be less likely to listen or conform to a school’s sense of discipline, Esports can improve it by allowing troubled students to partake and selective coaching. 

 In addition to coaching improving discipline, Esports participation, or the lack thereof, can serve as a punishment for some offenses.

14. Esports Can Improve Racial Diversity

When a school supplies equipment for Esports, there is no reason for someone not to participate. Studies in the 2000s show that Caucasian and Asian males are more likely to join PC game tournaments. Though there is no evidence to show why this is the case, allowing equal opportunity at school can improve the racial diversity of the Esports category.

15. Improve Gender Equality With Esports

No matter the gender of a videogame player, if you’re good, you’re good. Video games and esports are just ways schools can improve gender equality by allowing teams to consist of all mixed genders and promoting diversity based on skill rather than genetics. Not only does this level the “playing field” in schools, but it may also help equality in after-school situations.

All in All

Though many schools have reservations regarding the integration of Esports as a part of their school activities, there is no excuse why they shouldn’t. Video games and Esports have a negative light with most mainstream media outlets, but that does not mean that what you hear is a fact. If you are deciding whether or not to introduce Esports to your school, the points given above should help.