Why High School eSports are the Future of "Athletics" Part 1

When I was in high school there were only a handful of extracurricular options available to students after school. You'd have your typical chess club, participating in the high school musical, and of course...sports. Football, basketball, soccer, you know the typical list. It's not that I don't enjoy competition, but I have an adversity to getting really sweaty, being out out of breath, having BO scented clothes, and the occasional injuries or muscle pain that comes with contact sports.

You might be thinking, "But exercise is so good for you!" You'll get no argument from me there. I'd just rather get my workout in a dance class, taking a run, or hitting up a yoga class.

Then there are those that really don't have an affinity for sports at all. At least...traditional sports. But there is a new kid on the block in the competitive sports realm. This kid is bringing millions of dollars to players, huge scholarships, and all the big production value of March Madness!

And players never have to leave their chair...

The Rise of eSports

eSports is quickly reaching an audience previously dismissed as a sub-culture. A group that hides in the shadows, that gets no fanfare or press. What is that group? Video gamers.

Yes, video games. You know those things you think:

• steal away productivity time
• keeps you from exercising
• prevents you from ever having a healthy social life

Or do they?

Contrary to popular belief, gamers have a huge social circle. That circle can extend to worldwide proportions. Not only that but eSports events can be as much as a huge communal event to gather fans together as the Super Bowl or the World Series.

At last year's League of Legends World Championships held in Seoul, Korea gathered over 40,000 fans to watch the finals in Sangam Stadium with over 11 million simultaneous viewers worldwide. For a sport that has only really been brought to the spotlight with global tournaments over the last 10 years, those numbers are staggering!

The big question on many minds is whether eSports has legs or is it just a fad that will burn out in a few years. In Part 2 of this blog series, I will explore the attraction of eSports and why it serves a certain market segment in a way that will insure long term growth.

Have you watched a global eSports tournament online or on ESPN? What was your opinion of the event? Let us know in the comments below!