Are Esports the next big collegiate sport?

I have been a fan of esports and video gaming in general for as long as I can remember. As a professional in the health industry, I constantly find myself being ridiculed and looked down upon for my interests in the health benefits that video games boast. As we all know, there are several key indicators of good health. Sure, physical health is the most talked about (and visible), but research is starting to come out about other key factors in overall health.

Two of the most overlooked factors in overall health are social and mental health. Personally, I've met some of my best friends online while playing video games. As someone who is naturally introverted, I find it difficult to approach new people and develop relationships. While online, I'm sharing a common interest with someone and working towards the completion of a goal with that person. While not every matchmaking game creates lifelong friendships, I normally have extremely positive interactions with those I'm playing with. Not only has gaming helped me create some real life friendships, but as they continue to advance there is growing research to suggest they may also help promote learning in younger children!

To get back on track, as I stated earlier I am a professional in the health and fitness field. More specifically I work in the collegiate recreation environment. Not sure what that means? Check out this article!

In a nutshell, I'm in charge of providing recreation opportunities to the students at my local University. These activities range from intramurals, adventure trips, group fitness, to normal gym and weight lifting experiences. Over the past few years, I've sat and watched (excitedly!) esports and video games grow in popularity. In 2014 alone, more than 32 million people watched the League of Legends Worlds Championships, which more than doubled the World Series that year! Numbers have continued to show a similiar trends over the past three years.

It is my hope, and goal, to one day have esports and video gaming fully integrated into every collegiate recreation program in the country. Just as "fitness" is synonymous with recreation, I hope one day to add the word "gaming" to that conversation. I'd be interested to hear the communities thoughts and response as to whether or not they think of video games as a sport, or recreation activity. Feel free to leave a comment on this post, or follow one of my social media channels.