Sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball have a traditional style of play that has been passed down for generations. Each is an effective and fun way to compete, exercise, and learn crucial life lessons. In recent years, a new unorthodox “sport” called esports has captivated many and has posed the question, “What should be considered a sport?”.
Esports are video games being played at a competitive level. Throughout the past 20 years, popularity in esports has grown exponentially with the size of the industry doubling to nearly $240 billion from 2017 to 2022. Commonly used games include Fortnite, Rocket League, and League of Legends. As esports popularity increases, a question arises: Should esports be recognised as a sport? In the Oxford dictionary, a sport is defined as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” Many would argue that esports should not be considered a sport due to the lack of physical activity. However, many esports enthusiasts would debate that it should be considered a sport because of the team and competition components.
Mr. Guglielmetti is the coach of the Berkley esports team. He has been the coach of the esports team for two seasons, since the team was formed. Mr. Guglielmetti said that for an activity to be considered it has to consist of two things. “It needs to have a clear winner and a clear loser, and it needs to involve some sort of skill or talent that you can improve upon through practice.” Considering these two components and the amount of hand eye coordination and reaction speed that is used in esports, Mr. Guglielmetti says,“Personally I would lean towards esports being a sport.”, he tells me “Esports is nowhere near as intense as a sport like football where there is constant physical contact,” Mr. Guglielmetti explains, “but something does not need to have to have physical contact to be a sport, like golf.” He says that he wants people to know that “It’s not just a bunch of people in a basement being all sweaty. It is actually spending time practicing and spending time improving.”
Steven Thomas, a first year member of the Berkley esports team, aligns with Mr. Guglielmetti’s stance. He shares with me that “esports is a sport because there are teammates, competition, and you can even get college scholarships.”
While many argue that esports share characteristics with traditional sports, critics like some traditional sports supporters point out a key difference: Exercise and physical exertion. Unlike traditional sports such as soccer and basketball that involve high levels of exercise, esports involve little to no movement. Contradicting these claims, according to Frontiers recent studies have shown “esports athletes perceived moderate physical exertion after three–four hours of competitive video gaming.”
Clearly esports does not share all the same characteristics of a traditional sport and many would argue that it is not a sport at all due to a lack of required athletic ability, but there are factors that support the claim that esports is a sport even if it is a bit unorthodox.
