How to Start an eSports Team at your School that Kids Actually Love

The key to keeping kids engaged in their learning is a two-way system of appreciation between teachers and students.

This is a continual challenge, and education continues to change in response to the world around us. Breakthroughs in education platforms help sharpen young minds, but they also create new problems and challenges in the focus and application of those platforms. COVID-19 compounded these difficulties with the added challenge of remote learning.

Distance learning can be a difficult process on all sides, from keeping the students' attention long enough to ensuring the material is absorbed effectively.

The key question is, “so how do you make it fun?” We say, “Let them play.”

What about their education, you ask? That’s where our eSports platform comes in.

Statistically, most teens, both girls and boys, play videos online and generally spend time online. These kids have lifes built around technology whether we like it or not. As mentors to these young minds, why not invest in something they love as a platform for further enrichment? There’s always more than one way to look at a situation, and eSports is already one of those significant breakthroughs.

EliteGamingLIVE's program meets kids where they already are, playing video games. But we go much further, we aim to help kids with social-emotional learning through competitions. Additionally, we integrate STEM learning to open up opportunities for your students in science, technology, engineering, and math.

What Are the Benefits to eSports Anyway?

Did you know that when it comes to online gaming, there are already eSports for kids at nearly every level? There are high school eSports, middle school eSports, and even college level ones. Students can even earn scholarships for esports.

Let’s face it, Generation Z is said to be the gaming population. And we know that for some teachers, video games feel like a time-suck. It doesn’t have to be. With the right set-up, and eSports league, you can have a team that is learning and thriving while playing video games. According to NPD data, the majority of today’s school children have been playing digital games since they were 2 years old. So setting up an eSports team allows you to meet your students where they are. It can be a win-win.

With the right program, eSports participants can gain similar benefits to traditional athletes, like sportsmanship, problem-solving skills, and communication. Teamwork is indeed a part of many games, online ones included. In harnessing these skills, students can work on individual skills, like how they carry themselves while communicating with others in-game.

The Ultimate Guide on Starting a Team: How?

If you’re aiming to support your students in this field, here are a few tips for starting your own eSports team.

1. Find an eSports Coach
   
   Your first step should be to find a teacher or administrator (maybe you) who will coach these players. This person will be responsible for organizing game days, competitions, and schedules. Don’t worry, the coach doesn’t have to be a “gamer,” they just need to be passionate about helping kids. Programs like EliteGamingLIVE actually do coach training, so you get all the ins and outs of running your team. We make sure that you have everything from start to finish.
   
   
2. Spread the word
   
   One of the first things you want to do is start garnering interest. We’ve seen it happen before, the coach is excited but the kids aren’t participating. Why? Because the coach didn’t do a great job of spreading the word. In the EGL Program, you get a Coach Kit that includes posters, email text, and more to help you spread the word. But if you decide to go it alone, make sure you prioritize creating a rally around your eSports team.
   
   
3. Join Gaming Communities
   
   One of the greatest things about eSports is the gaming communities. Joining seminars, leagues, competitions, and other online communities that help team growth and provide more knowledge is beneficial. Like minds with specific goals tend to flock together. In other words, it’s a recipe for a healthy sportsmanship mindset. A great eSports league partner can show you the ropes so you won’t get left out.
   
   
4. Consider Establishing Your Team’s Branding
   
   What else hypes up your group as much as customized t-shirts, jerseys, or jackets? In every sports meet, customized clothing inflates your athletes’ performance aura. Like a form of branding, you make it known to the world that you are a group of quality and that this is your armor in the physical reality of things. Especially if the students like it, it’s going to be a real confidence boost.

Knowing what goes inside children’s minds is as imaginative and adventurous as playing games themselves. Unfortunately, both can be complex and difficult to understand. Helping children from Grades 3-12 establish teams, develop teamwork, and make friends is a bridge in overcoming that challenge in some way. Kids playing eSports are constantly sharpening their skills in and out of the games. The determination and innovation developed in the competition can help grow their characters in real life.

Many eSports programs focus on game-play only. We wanted to take it a much bigger step forward and use this as an opportunity to help kids, learn, grow, and find future success.

Starting an eSports team at your school can feel like a massive undertaking. And it could be, if you were on your own. But when you partner with us, we do the hard work for you, guiding you through our established program so that your students can benefit from the same successes as our existing teams.

Contact us for a free demo where a member of the team can answer your questions.