Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games via Getty Images

Is Playing Video Games a Sport?

March 27, 2023

As You Read, Think About: How are esports similar to traditional sports? How are they different?

Each day, 12-year-old Brady Donbeck spends about an hour playing his favorite sport. He practices scoring goals with teammates. Brady’s team is so good that they finished fourth in last year’s North American Finals. But they weren’t competing on a soccer field or in a hockey rink. They were at their computers playing Rocket League—a video game that combines car racing and soccer.

Competitions involving video games like Rocket League are called esports (short for electronic sports). Worldwide, more than 500 million people watched esports events last year. So more people are starting to consider playing video games a sport.

Brady is one of them. He competes in the XP League, the nation’s largest youth esports league. The sixth-grader from Virginia also plays basketball and spent years on a travel soccer team. He says esports aren’t that different from traditional sports.

Still, many people say that even though esports require skill, gamers should not be called athletes.

Should esports be considered a sport?

Each day, 12-year-old Brady Donbeck spends about an hour playing his favorite sport. He practices scoring goals with teammates. Brady’s team is very good. Last year, they finished fourth in the North American Finals. But they weren’t competing on a soccer field or in a hockey rink. They were at their computers playing Rocket League. That’s a video game that combines car racing and soccer.

Competitions involving video games like Rocket League are called esports. Esports is short for electronic sports. Worldwide, more than 500 million people watched esports events last year. So more people are starting to consider that playing video games is a sport.

Brady is one of them. He competes in the XP League. That’s the nation’s largest youth esports league. The sixth-grader from Virginia also plays basketball. And he spent years on a travel soccer team. He says esports aren’t that different from traditional sports.

Still, many people say that even though esports require skill, gamers should not be called athletes.

Should esports be considered a sport?

Esports enthusiasts point out that gamers and athletes in traditional sports need many of the same skills. They include high levels of concentration and the ability to perform well under pressure.

To many people, the intense competition of esports puts them in the same category as sports like football, basketball, and baseball.

“It’s different than sitting around and playing a board game,” explains Daniel Kane. He’s a college professor who has written about esports.

Esports enthusiasts point out that gamers and athletes in traditional sports need many of the same skills. They need high levels of concentration. They also need the ability to perform well under pressure.

Many people say esports competitions are intense. To those people, esports belong in the same category as sports like football and basketball.

“It’s different than sitting around and playing a board game,” explains Daniel Kane. He’s a college professor who has written about esports.

About 1 in 4 Americans say they are more interested in esports than traditional sporting events.

^{Source: Reviews.org February 2021 survey}

Kane also notes that attitudes about what is considered a sport change over time. For years, many people didn’t take skateboarding seriously. Now skaters compete at the Summer Olympics. Kane says esports are on a similar path.

More than 8,600 high schools in the U.S. have added esports teams since 2018. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the first major sports league to embrace esports. It runs the NBA 2K League for professional gamers.

^{Source: Reviews.org February 2021 survey}

Many people argue that being an athlete means exerting yourself physically. They say esports don’t require much exercise. Most video games are played sitting down, sometimes for hours at a time.

Some people say that while esports involve skill and strategy, they have more in common with games like chess than with tennis or football. Others point out that cooking shows and singing contests are also competitions that attract big audiences. But few people would argue that they’re sports.

Many people believe that being an athlete means exerting yourself physically. They say esports don’t require much exercise. Most video games are played sitting down. Sometimes gamers play for hours at a time.

Esports involve skill and strategy. But some people say they have more in common with games like chess than with tennis or football. Others point out that cooking shows and singing contests are also competitions. They also attract big audiences. But few people would argue that they’re sports.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) oversees major college sports. It does not recognize esports as a type of sport.

Justin Simpao is a lifelong gamer. He works at a video game company in Canada. Simpao says esports belong in their own category.

“Using the term sports to generalize esports doesn’t quite do it justice,” he says.

Simpao thinks of esports and traditional sports as siblings. They have a lot in common, but they also have qualities that make them different.

Justin Simpao is a lifelong gamer. He works at a video game company in Canada. Simpao says esports belong in their own category.

“Using the term sports to generalize esports doesn’t quite do it justice,” he says.

Simpao thinks of esports and traditional sports as siblings. They have a lot in common. But they also have qualities that make them different.

What’s the purpose of the paragraph about Brady Donbeck at the start of the article?
Why does Daniel Kane compare esports to skateboarding?
Summarize why some people do not think playing video games is a sport.