With many new sports gaining attention within the last couple of years, electronic sports or esports continue to grow in popularity, proving its place as a competitive high school activity. Although the debate over whether it qualifies as a sport is ongoing, more people are beginning to accept it into their school communities. Esports attracts people who enjoy competition without the physical stress and work that a typical sport like football requires, making it all the more enticing.
Esports was born on Oct. 19, 1972 at Stanford University with the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics, an event consisting of only one game for everyone to compete in. Spacewar! is a simple game that involves two ships controlled by two different people trying to shoot each other. The winner of this galactic frenzy was Bruce Baumgart, who ended up winning a yearlong subscription to Rolling Stone magazine. Gaming events that followed this, from competitive Space Invaders to the popular games played today like Rocket League and Fortnite, have fostered a community like no other.
Some students at Communications High School (CHS), like Sophomore James Thomas of Cliffwood Beach, are extremely excited about the continued growth of this sport.
“I personally love the idea of esports,” said Thomas. “I think it’s a great program that can get nerds like me involved in team sports.”
In addition to its global growth, the competitive gaming community has expanded to the high school level, with 47 schools in the Shore Conference forming their own esports teams.
The addition of esports gives students who are less inclined to join an athletic sport the opportunity to join a team and become more involved in their school community. Because esports competitions are welcome to everyone and don’t have a seasonal restriction, the camaraderie these games inspire opens the door for new skills and friendships.
As the sport continues to rise, CHS may just be one button press away from integrating its very own esports team.
“Most schools should get an esports team. It would likely get more students to participate in a school program,” said Thomas. “If our school had a [Super] Smash Bros. or Mario Kart team, you bet I’d join in a heartbeat.”
