Technology
Esports
Awareness and Holidays
Esports is known for competition and fun, but most people don’t know how positively impactful esports can be academically, in our careers, and in our daily lives.
When I first got introduced to esports, I was timid to hop right into that world because I’m not a competitive person and don’t like mingling contention with my relaxation time. Once I found friendly people to play esports games like APEX Legends and Rocket League with, I finally saw why people find them so fun. But the positive impact of esports doesn’t end there. Esports can help you in so many ways, namely in academics, your future career, and your daily life.
Academics
I’ve done several blogs in the past about how esports benefits mental health, but esports can specifically help you with academics. It may seem counterintuitive since esports and video games, in general, take students away from their studies, but trust me, esports players have academic benefits, too.
Requirements Equal Advantages
It is common for esports clubs to require a set grade point average for students to participate. Kevin Brown, the esports program specialist for the Orange County Department of Education and North American Scholastic Esports Federation said, “esports improves students’ overall well-being and academic achievement.” Esports encourages students to work hard and get good grades in order to continue participating in their favorite hobby, turning requirements into advantages.
Mental Respite
When I am playing APEX Legends with my friends, I’m not thinking about homework, quizzes, or papers, I’m thinking about how I can best help my team achieve victory. This time away from academia that esports offers actually boosts my attention, focus, and drive to be successful when I begin working on homework and studying for quizzes. And as the allure of fun, relaxing esports games are paired with academic success, Jason Kirby, the president of the High School Esports League, says “We’re starting to see more kids with borderline or failing grades, or a lack of participation and engagement, getting involved in esports programs”. Esports offers many academic advantages to students; a mental break is just one of them.
Careers
Of course, high school and college aren’t the end goal for students everywhere. Though there are plenty of careers besides gaming within esports, esports games can help with whatever your future career may be. Our own Katherine Amoukhteh says that "I believe that the skills obtained in esports can be transferred to other industries. Communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork skills can all be applied to jobs within the medical, legal, and STEM fields".
Exports & Academics @ Coastline
Leadership and Teamwork
Esports clubs often offer students the opportunity for leadership. Even outside of an esports club setting, within esports gaming, there needs to be strong leadership in order to win a match. Teamwork is the other skill that becomes sharpened quite quickly in esports. Leadership and teamwork are some of the most marketable skills when it comes to starting your career, and esports players naturally gain those skills just by playing.
Life Experience
Life experiences, like communicating respectfully with an enemy team or strategically thinking of how your current match can be won, help esports players with any future career path they choose. Whether it is accounting, construction, medical, or design, the skills and life experiences gained through esports applies to anything. Kevin Brown, who was quoted earlier, says that esports players “learn how to win humbly (and) lose gracefully”, which are extremely important life lessons that can be applied to any career. The more skills and life experience gained throughout esports, the better equipped you are for your future careers, whatever that may be.
Daily Life
Academics and careers aside, what can esports do to help my daily life? Aside from blessing gamers with everything aforementioned, there is still more that esports can provide.
Inclusivity
The inclusivity of esports helps academically, in careers, and in your daily life. Video games, and especially esports, are transforming daily to become social spaces for like-minded individuals who previously didn’t belong to any particular group to meet and make long-lasting friendships. Esports clubs are a place for people of all ages, genders, colors, and orientations to feel welcomed. If you feel like you could use some extra friends, esports is a great place to find them.
Myriad of Skills
If the skills I’ve listed above still haven’t convinced you that esports offers so much more than just a good time, here are some more skills gained from esports that help out in daily life. Spatial awareness can help you with so many day-to-day activities, like personal space at a grocery store or locating the exits of a movie theater in an emergency. Thinking critically helps with everything that comes with being a human, and esports hones that skill. We use our hands and our eyes every day, but esports trains our hand-eye coordination so that both work together all the time, in any varying circumstances. There’s just so much that esports gives back to players.
If you aren’t involved already, join an esports club. Whether you’re a fresh out of high school student, a middle-aged parent working your way to your dream job, or anything in between, esports can provide so much to your life. Get involved with esports today and help yourself out academically, in your career, and in your daily life!
