Competitive gaming is making it to the mainstream! Competitions are selling out venues like Madison Square Garden and online streaming of Esports is as popular as viewing of professional athletic events. Colleges are starting to provide scholarships for competitive gaming. It is time to build the pipeline to prepare students for these opportunities while honoring their interests and valuing their skills. This chat is aimed at building a community around the growth of Esports in grades 6 though 12 which will naturally feed into the college programs. Join us for the weekly #EsportsEDU chat at 7:30 pm ET. It is a 30 minute chat that will have one question / topic each week to guide the discussion. Use the hashtag #Esportsedu or join us via participate.com at participate.com/chats/EsportsEDU
Welcome to #EsportsEDU. Let's start with introductions. Please share your name, location, role, and what games you look forward to digging into this summer!
Hi everyone! Ben from Canada here tonight for the chat and to remind everyone that #ESports is NOT a new thing. Check out this classic movie The Wizard from the 80s. EPIC! #ESportsEDUhttps://t.co/rQfCMsc4I5
Hi everyone! New joiner Ellen from Queens, NYC...more on the edu side of #esportsedu, so my favorite games are board games like ONU Werewolf from @beziergames
Steve from NJ - I teach game design and development at William Annin Middle School and am the advisor of our game club - hoping to also start an #Esports club at the High School next year. Thinking of giving @SMITEGame a try this summer #EsportsEDU
Welcome to #EsportsEDU. Let's start with introductions. Please share your name, location, role, and what games you look forward to digging into this summer!
Carrie, progressive learning academy, gaming for education teacher, can’t wait for the new fallout to drop also we just got my dad on Sea of Thieves so 3 gen will be playing together soon #EsportsEDU
Hi everyone! Ben from Canada here tonight for the chat and to remind everyone that #ESports is NOT a new thing. Check out this classic movie The Wizard from the 80s. EPIC! #ESportsEDUhttps://t.co/rQfCMsc4I5
Carrie, progressive learning academy, gaming for education teacher, can’t wait for the new fallout to drop also we just got my dad on Sea of Thieves so 3 gen will be playing together soon #EsportsEDU
Hi everyone! James here, out in Santa Monica. Working to build high school esports with @PlayVScom. While it isn't an esport, super excited to get some in on some of that Stardew Valley multiplayer... but also a huge fan of League, Starcraft, and Fortnite! #EsportsEDU
Welcome Ellen! NJ here so good to see more East Coasters :) We love board games too, wonder if we could get some #tabletop games into the competitive gaming mix! #EsportsEDU
Esports might not be... but it's definitely shifted in attitude in the last thirty years. I'd say the old Starcraft: Brood War competitions back in the early 00's, or the CPL were the closest thing to the esports of today. #EsportsEDU
So glad to hear you are excited about Stardew Valley multiplayer - played once so far and it definitely made for a fun coop social experience! Also a huge starcraft fan. Took a beating today during Gameclub after showing @FelpixTheMaker who was boss #EsportsEDU
In reply to
@InternallyValid, @playvscom, @FelpixTheMaker
Q1: Our only question :) How should we go about funding #Esports programs in schools? Private funding sources? Crowdfunding? Sponsors? Public School Funding? Other? #EsportsEDU
Hey Adam - I'll be visiting Cincinnati a bit over the next few years as my daughter will be going to @uofl and many of the flights to Cincinnati seem better :/ We'll have to play some games! And @PlayOverwatch is on my list too #EsportsEDU
A1: depends to the depth we want to go. If it’s just to form a club, lots of schools have the tech and connection needed. But if we want to shoutcast, build better bodies and minds, and travel to tournaments, we need to allocate more. #esportsedu
Q1 - PTO, athletic department, grants, donations. If this is recognized by some part of a school then funding should come, but the amount is a ? #EsportsEDU
A1: I think we need to be open to all. It's important to get the support / backing from the school district and strive to be treated like a varsity activity so that may be the long term goal but in the short term may need to look at other sources of funding #EsportsEDU
A1: Programs are different at every school. In general, the cost is low-- at minimum a small club due, at maximum purchasing new equipment/computers. Some fees kicked back to students (dues), some fundraised (jerseys), some through district/grants (computesrs) #EsportsEDU
A1: I think it would be beneficial for students to build PCs through grants or other available funds to then use for Esports. There is a lot educationally that can be learned through the process and the ownership and investment increases. #EsportsEDU
I think it will vary a lot for each site, we will be doing a lot of crowd funding as we are not a public program. I’d think public will be a mix of many sources #EsportsEDU
They're starting to see value in it! The NFHS (National Federation of High School Assocaitions) partnered up with @PlayVScom to provide sanctioned leagues in a ton of states this Fall (with more coming soon!). NCAA is exploring it in the collegiate side... #EsportsEDU
A1 - Sponsors is my first answer. There will be team fees for Ss like a lot of other sports but when it comes down to an annual campaign I see us being sponsored internally and if that fails, externally. #ESportsEDU
If you’re worried about the NCAA, they’re a dinosaur organization for a different age who haven’t figured out how to monetize esports yet. Ignore them, if we can. #esportsedu
I agree, some PTOs or districts would collaborate if the benefits are made clear. Part of the barrier is the perception that games have at times, but we can overcome this with actual examples of where the benefits happen during game play. #EsportsEDU
Good point and it also speaks to the point that there are many roles in #Esports beyond just playing. In fact, it's entirely possible that the tech folks and players might be different people #EsportsEDU
A1: I think it would be beneficial for students to build PCs through grants or other available funds to then use for Esports. There is a lot educationally that can be learned through the process and the ownership and investment increases. #EsportsEDU
From my conversations with them, they're much more progressive than I'd have originally expected. If they get in, I doubt they'll get involved in a negative way. #EsportsEDU
A1 I’d love to see what @riotgames@EpicGames@Blizzard_Ent and theblike could do to help us get esports into schools. I think there are some really creative things we could do and we just need to sit down and talk about it. #ESportsEDU
In reply to
@mr_isaacs, @riotgames, @EpicGames, @Blizzard_Ent
Most administrators are very against FPS. If we want as many students to have the opportunity to play in #EsportsEDU, we need to make some sort of compromise. We'll get to the point where FPS is accepted, but today it's hard.
In reply to
@jimohagan, @EdGamer, @MrMillerReads, @playvscom
Interesting point. Even on the college level I believe most of the prize money goes toward scholarships / tuition, etc. Are kids competing for the school winning prize money? #EsportsEDU
With all the tournaments available, how can we say no? So many teens are champions in these games - we shouldn't deprive them of the opportunity. #EsportsEdu
They have a vested interest in engaging teachers and students in this. They also have the most to gain. Shouldn’t they be engaged in how we get there? #ESportsEDU
In reply to
@mr_isaacs, @riotgames, @EpicGames, @Blizzard_Ent
Definitely raises other questions. Should the school team be competing for prize money or should prize money fund the program? I can see students from these teams playing in other tournaments outside of school, but i think interscholastic play wouldn't have prize $ #EsportsEDU
This is why we really have to build a culture around gaming and not be focused on just the gaming. Make #esports a medium to something more. #esportsedu
In reply to
@EdGamer, @InternallyValid, @MrMillerReads, @playvscom
A1 I’d love to see what @riotgames@EpicGames@Blizzard_Ent and theblike could do to help us get esports into schools. I think there are some really creative things we could do and we just need to sit down and talk about it. #ESportsEDU
In reply to
@mr_isaacs, @riotgames, @EpicGames, @Blizzard_Ent
Riot Games and Blizzard both have their own collegiate programs (@CollegeLoL, @TeamTespa). High school is a bit more difficult for companies to come in and, effectively, market against. But from my knowledge of the people on these teams they're hype about HS! #EsportsEDU
In reply to
@misterwashburn, @mr_isaacs, @riotgames, @EpicGames, @Blizzard_Ent, @collegelol, @TeamTespa
I'm not sure about scholarship prizing as the future of high school esports... but top universities will offer scholarships to high school students that are excellent at what they do, be it academics, service, or esports. #EsportsEDU
A1 - The problem is that #ESports is not athletics at all and currently is far more an inactive game like chess. Approach anyone athletic with the idea to include #ESportsEDU and be prepared to be laughed out of the school. Currently, rightfully so. It will get better.
My hope is that as our group grows these companies will start to hear us. It seems like they warmed up to College pretty well. We are the pipeline, so it would stand to reason that they would get involved #EsportsEDU
In reply to
@InternallyValid, @misterwashburn, @riotgames, @EpicGames, @Blizzard_Ent, @collegelol, @TeamTespa
There are rules for cash prizes/gifts of monetary value at the university and high school levels. You are right, there has been nothing quite like esports. #EsportsEDU
I would think that they could compete on that level outside of the school competitions but it does raise such an interesting point! How do colleges handle that? NCAA athletes cannot play pro sports while in college. hmmmm #EsportsEDU
Outro: Thanks for joining us! Please reintroduce yourself with name, location, role, and please share ideas for topics for future #EsportsEDU chats! And don't forget to join us on our @discordapp server https://t.co/SKf3l0yYeP
This is not always the case. Smaller DIII schools tend to offer more connection to the athletic dept. They see the benefits to Ss in the form of teamwork, agility, leadership, that are similar to traditional athletics. Big schools want nothing to do with it. #EsportsEdu
I would love for them to work with us in terms of tournament structure, #Esports framework / infrastructure, help with licensing, and of course financial support would always be welcomed. #EsportsEDU
In reply to
@InternallyValid, @misterwashburn, @riotgames, @EpicGames, @Blizzard_Ent, @collegelol, @TeamTespa
Don't worry about this for now. If the NCAA gets involved, then start the shift towards maintaining NCAA eligibility or whatever the stance becomes-- to keep opportunities open for students. For now, keep grades up. Keep playing. Keep learning. #EsportsEDU
Not if money starts coming in. They would gladly take in esports to the AD. This is a scary part....money is a big part of why esports is front and center and we need to make sure our students and schools are not getting ripped off. Like Nike, Adidas, others.... #EsportsEDU
Certainly the largest barrier to entry is the cost of devices and infrastructure. High Schools don't have the same funding as higher ed (also it wouldn't be a revenue stream like colleges could be) #EsportsEDU
In reply to
@InternallyValid, @mr_isaacs, @riotgames, @EpicGames, @Blizzard_Ent, @collegelol, @TeamTespa
Thanks for a great chat everyone! I am coming from the ed world, and I know that the students in our classrooms are really interested in esports. I'd be most interested to learn from you all how you fit learning and esports together. #ESportsEDU
I think the argument, however, comes to the fact that many of the same skills are demonstrated and while not 'active' this provides a great opportunity for kids that are really good at something that has meaning to them #EsportsEDU
Amazing how we can have just one question and the discussion can be so vibrant. Outro: Steve, NJ, I teach game design to middle schoolers and advise our #gameclub - future topic - coaching #EsportsEDU
Are developers expected to monetarily support every high school's program? Support for collegiate is hard to scale, but support for high school would require almost 10x the # of stakeholders (& focus on teacher-run initatives VS the student-run ones they support now) #EsportsEDU
In reply to
@misterwashburn, @mr_isaacs, @riotgames, @EpicGames, @Blizzard_Ent, @collegelol, @TeamTespa
Just viewed this whole article and it had nothing to do with my comment? I said #ESports aren't athletic. Everyone knows they are a sport...it's in their name. However twitching your thumbs won't make you an athlete soon. VR etc.. will improve this. #ESportsEDU
