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E-sports Excitement
By Jennifer Hackett
action.scholastic.com
At schools across the country, teams of students play competitive video games
Kyle Bautista plays a sport.
He started when he was 14 years old.
He practices with his teammates and competes in tournaments.
But Kyle's team doesn't meet in a gym or on a field.
Kyle plays e-sports, or competitive video gaming, for his high school in Oswego, Illinois.
They play a game called
League of Legends
Kyle, now 18, joined the team when he was a freshman.
Before joining the team, he had never played e-sports.
"I went in knowing that I loved playing video games," he says. "A competitive team was a fun new step."
Since Kyle joined the team,
e-sports have really taken off.
More than 1,200 schools have registered e-sports teams.
About 200 colleges offer scholarships to e-sports players.
But to some, the idea of e-sports sounds strange.
People are often confused when Kyle's coach, Amy Whitlock, mentions e-sports.
"I explain that the players are not just video game players. They're athletes," she says.
Whitlock coaches her team to work together during games.
She also gives them mental exercises to help them focus while competing.
"E-sports can be for everyone," Whitlock says.
Unlike traditional sports, teams aren't separated by gender.
Any student can join the team and become a strong player.
E-sports also help kids who might struggle to fit in, Whitlock says. "It gives them a reason to connect with the people around them."
Kyle, now a senior, agrees. "E-sports will explode in the near future," he says. "It's the next big thing."
The End
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