Video Games a Sport? Yes
Just by reading my title some of you are mad. Many people are thinking right now that this is ridiculous, or that calling gamers athletes takes away from “real athletes”. In all honesty what you think doesn’t matter, with the way things are changing, they are a sport.
Webster dictionary defines a sport as, an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Notice that it in no way says the level of physical activity, just states that there must be some. Physical activity is any bodily movement.
Since video games were created, they have been viewed by many as for lazy people or kids. According to Dr. Malik Burnett cannabis became illegal and seen as negative. Now it is being legalized for recreational purposes in many states, and is legal for medical purposes in most states. This is one of the many examples of how something once viewed as negative, is becoming embraced by society. It is time to do the same for video games.
The hours it takes to get good at a video game is the same as in a traditional sport. Through my life I have played many sports such as football, basketball, soccer, ran track, and I have wrestled. While many people say that if someone thinks video games are a sport they haven’t played a real sport, that argument is invalid against me.
Contrary to popular belief, gamers can be inspirational. They get to make their living playing video games. This was most likely their dream and even through probable ridicule, and maybe even being made fun of, they still were able to make their dreams a reality. I can only hope that my kids see these athletes and are inspired to follow their dreams also.
Playing video games has many benefits. It can increase hand-eye coordination, help a person be social, and even help people learn to continue to be motivated in the face of failure, according to Justin Shaprio from the American Psychological Association. These skills are something that will translate in to almost anything in life.
Even though in 2014 the CEO of ESPN stated he thought video games were a competition not a sport, his view has obviously changed as seen by the fact ESPN has aired multiple video game tournaments since then.
Since 2014 eSports viewership has rose almost 50% while profit has went up almost 300%. Nothing has grown this fast in the technology world since the iPhone in 2007. Foreign gamers coming in to the country for eSports qualify for a p-1, reserved for athletes only.
No sports would be complete without its commentators. The eSport commentators study the games and the athletes to help make the games as exciting as possible.
The main argument against eSports is the level of physicality. What people do not realize is the mental and even physical action that is required. People spend hours upon hours every night preparing for the games. Also injuries are becoming more and more prevalent everyday in the world of eSports, so much that many teams are hiring professional medical staff. Also your mind has to be operating at the top level. One little mistake could cost your team the whole game. Miss pressing one button could cost your team the entire game.
Many colleges are even offering scholarships for video games now. eSports should even be brought in to high school. It would offer kids who don’t have the ability due to something holding them back, to get the team experience in high school. Playing for a sports team means you are a family. You will have a whole team that will always have your back. Many kids cannot play traditional sports due to disabilities, but many of them play video games already.
Now many people will never change their minds on video games, but there is no real argument behind that reasoning. With how fast they sport is growing it is only a matter of time until the NCAA, high schools, and maybe even the Olympics will recognize it as the official sport it is.
