The commentary is a framework of theory that builds upon the idea that eSports are a sport. The first part of this paper examines the definition and determines how competitive video games can be applied to it. In the second part, the author discusses the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) recognition of eSports. Title IX will also be used to list eSports as a new sport for women.
ESports as Sport: What You Need to Know Sitting on a computer, playing videogames is not an image of what you think of when you picture an athlete. Stereotypes usually associate a person who is not physically fit or has no athletic ability. Some people refer to gamers as nerds or link them with nerd cultures (Kendall 2011). The term gamer has many uses. The majority of people who play board, collectible, and videogames are included in this classification. The term gamer is used in this paper to describe people who play competitive video games. Video gamers who compete in sports are now able to display the same athletic abilities as athletes. Video games have also evolved. Video games are increasingly being played competitively. These tournaments closely resemble sport competitions. This paper will try to develop a theoretical framework for eSports being recognized as a sport by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
In October 1972, two dozen Stanford University students played Spacewar in the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (Li, 2016,) to determine who was the first video game champion. Atari organized a multicity competition in 1982 that gave 10,000 participants the opportunity to win a place as world champion of Space Invaders. Since then video game play has changed. The evolution is now called competitive video gaming. In this review, eSports refers to all eSports competitions in the world. Each league could also be compared as a separate sports league, which all play the same sport. eSports leagues differ in their rules, games they play, how professionals are ranked, and the competitions or tournaments they host. In all leagues, the competition is based on video games. The athletes who are consistently successful in their matches can move up to a professional-level.
Whether competitive video gaming is a sport or not is one of the most heated debates surrounding eSports. It has been tried many times to define sport, but no universal definition has been found (Perks 1999). Instead of a definitive academic description, people refer back to the Oxford English Dictionary definition (n.d.), “An entertainment activity that involves physical effort and skill where an individual, team, or other competes with another” (para. 1). eSports should be considered a sport by defining it.
Physical exertion is the first thing to consider. Aadahl Kjaer & Jorgensen (2007) claim that absolute intensity is a way to measure the intensity of exercise by multiplying the basal metabolic rate of the individual. In order to establish exertion using the MET, one could look at how playing videogames affects the MET. Another way to measure exertion is by using oxygen levels. For example, a moderate activity will have a VO2 of 40%-60%, and 4-6 METs. Bronner Pinsker & Noah (2013) found that male and female video game participants’ MET levels rose between 4-9 after participating in games that required dancing. Stroud’s et.al. (2010) participants were able achieve a moderate to low level of activity by standing while shaking Nintendo Wii remote controls and playing Mario & Sonic at Olympic Games. It is possible to demonstrate physical activity while playing video games.
Video games and physical exercise have multiple connections. Modesti and colleagues (1994), carried out a test that demonstrated the increase in blood pressure while playing video games. It is also possible to consider physical exertion as a form of perceived exertion. You can measure perceived exertion using either the Borg Category Ratio (CR10) or the Borg Perceived Exercise Ratings (RPE). Participants can determine how strenuous an activity is by using RPE or CR10. RPE scales are structured 6-20 for heart rates, so the participant can use their heart rate to gauge perceived effort. Many eSports participants showed signs of physical exhaustion while playing video games and during training to keep pace with the demands of professional video gaming (Li et.al., 2016).
The second part to be analyzed is the skill. A player who wants to become a professional must master different techniques and skills. Researchers have used videogames to study how people develop skills (Boot et al., Towne, Rodriguez & Ericsson 2016). Green and Bavelier, (2015) carried out a study which showed that people can learn new skills by playing action videogames. Bavelier Green Pouget Schrater (2012:) concluded that players of action video games acquire not just one, but multiple skills. In competitive games, players who are skilled dominate those who just play for fun. There is a distinct divide between professional and non-professional players in eSports.
The last part of definition describes a competition between two people or teams for entertainment. Video games have evolved from a simple hobby to competitions and cash-prize tournaments. In the case of games like Street Fighter, players can participate in a competition alone, while for games like Counter-Strike and League of Legends they must join a team. ESports is broadcast on ESPN in America and other networks around the globe. The eSports events are held in specially constructed eSports stadiums.
Professional gamers are now recognized as athletes by many countries. Professional gamers in the United States can get P-1 visas that are granted to athletes. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Danny “Shiphtur”, an eSports professional, received the first P-1 visa in 2013 (Dave, 2013. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee recognizes the Korea e-Sports Association in South Korea (KeSPA). KeSPA regulates an athlete’s status as an amateur or professional (Li, 2016). In South Korea, the South Korean Air Force has an eSports squad when professional gamers were required to perform military service. Using examples from the above, eSports can be considered a sports.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association, a non-profit organization with a large membership, has become the benchmark for college athletics throughout the United States. In 1989, a United States survey revealed that 78% Americans felt college sports had gotten out of hand. Since then, collegiate athletics is governed by the NCAA. The NCAA boasts 1,121 college members and nearly 500,000 athletes in 24 different sports, divided into three divisions. In order to take eSports seriously at the collegiate-level, the NCAA needs to recognize eSports. This will require a thorough evaluation of the sport.
In order to be recognized by the NCAA as a collegiate game, eSports first needs to conform to its definition. The Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of sport is similar to that used by the NCAA (n.d.), however, it focuses more on the sports played at collegiate levels. For the purposes for reviewing proposals, sport shall be defined by an institutional activity that involves physical exercise with a purpose to compete against other individuals or teams within a competitive structure. Sport also includes head-to-head competitions between teams and/or individuals (at least 5 per season) and standard rules. (para. 6)As we discussed previously, eSports is a sport that has been recognized and organized on several college campuses. ESports is also a college sport. This has the added advantage that it does not require a specific gender to participate in competitive video games. The gender difference does not create an imbalance when women and men play together. Women are allowed to start women-only teams and play alongside men. This could make eSports eligible for the NCAA’s list of emerging sports.
A common misconception holds that videogames are for men only. A study by the Pew Research Center found that 48% of American women play videogames (Duggan 2015). Entertainment Software Association (2016) discovered that women aged over 18 account for a higher percentage of gamers than those under 18. Newzoo reports that the number of female gamers has increased 70% in just four years, from 18 to 30.3 millions (Harwell 2014). Women are starting to make a difference in eSports. There are no statistics to show how many women participate. Intel sponsors and nurtures only female teams in order to increase female competition (Buck,2015).
Title IX would apply if the NCAA recognized eSports as a sport where women create their own female teams and can compete alongside men. Title IX of Education Amendments of 2002, 20 U.S.C.SSSS.1681 et.seq., is a law that was passed to prevent discrimination against women (Title IX of Education Amendments of 1992, 1972). The original text of the amendment was unclear and difficult to understand. The Office for Civil Rights in the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights released a document in 2008 to try and define what a sport would be considered under Title IX. The OCR definition will determine if eSports are covered under Title Ext. Robert Morris University’s (RMU) Chicago campus will be used to demonstrate eSports being a Title IX sport. RMU does not belong to the NCAA but is a participant of a comparable association, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. eSports are listed in the Athletics Department (Robert Morris University n.d.) RMU considers eSports to be a sport, and its participants athletes.
OCR’s letter focuses on two categories. OCR looks at the program administration and structure as the first factor in its determination (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (2008)). This review consists of two parts. In the first, it is checked “whether athletics departments or other entities administer the operating budget, provide support services including academic, sport medicine and strength-and-conditioning support and coach staff in a manner that is consistent to established varsity sporting events” (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. 2008). 11). Kurt Melcher established eSports in RMU’s athletic department with a budget of $500,000, which included the hiring of coaches, and the construction an arena. In order to be in line with other varsity sports, the first 35 scholarships awarded to players of varsity and Junior Varsity were given to conform to this rule (Ruby 2004).
The second part of this requirement examines whether or not participants are recruited, and if they receive scholarships, compared with other varsity athletics (U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights – 2008). RMU began its eSports programme in 2008, and recruitment was modeled on other sports. Both the marketing of the program and contacting top amateurs was done. The university was able recruit players who were amateurs but turned down the opportunity to go pro. Around half a mil dollars is now granted by the university to eSports Teams (TEDx Talks, 2016). RMU’s eSports is structured and administered in a similar way to other athletics departments.
