Thinking About Starting a School Esports Program? Start Here

Maybe you've been thinking about esports for months.

Students are asking about it. You've seen other schools launch programs. You understand the potential, but something is still keeping you from taking the next step.

Maybe it's budget.

Maybe it's equipment.

Maybe you're wondering who's going to run the program.

Or maybe you're looking at all the moving pieces and thinking:

This sounds complicated.

If that describes your organization, there are two things we'd want you to know.

We'll help make this easier than you think—and your students are already telling you what engages them.

You Don't Have to Figure Everything Out Yourself

Starting any new program requires effort.

But educators shouldn't have to become experts in every aspect of esports before they can offer it to students.

Our job at EGL is to remove as much complexity as possible.

We can help partners with technology, program structure, training, support, equipment, and implementation.

Instead of handing you a product and saying "good luck," we work alongside you to determine what your organization actually needs.

Your Program Doesn't Have to Look Like Everyone Else's

One of the biggest misconceptions is that there's only one way to run esports.

There isn't.

If your organization can run a program one day per week, we can help you build a one-day-a-week experience.

If you want programming five days per week, we can help structure that.

If you want competition, career exploration, curriculum, or a combination of experiences, we can work with you to find the right model.

The goal isn't to force your organization into our system.

It's to build a program that works inside your organization.

Your Students Are Already Showing You What Engages Them

Here's the bigger opportunity.

Kids are already gaming.

Choosing not to offer a gaming-based program doesn't necessarily mean they're going to stop playing video games.

In many cases, they're simply going to go home and play in an environment that isn't connected to their school, their education, their future, or necessarily even a supportive community.

Schools have an opportunity to change that.

Turn Gaming Into a Doorway

Imagine taking something a student already loves and connecting it to something bigger.

A student comes because they want to game.

But along the way, they find teammates.

They represent their school.

They build friendships.

They gain confidence.

They explore careers.

They develop new skills.

They discover that something they love could potentially connect to something they can become.

That's the opportunity we see in esports.

You Don't Need to Convince Kids to Care

Educators are constantly searching for ways to increase engagement.

With gaming, much of that engagement already exists.

You don't have to convince kids to care about gaming.

They already do.

Our opportunity as educators, youth organizations, and partners is to decide what we're going to do with that enthusiasm.

We can leave gaming completely disconnected from school.

Or we can intentionally use it to create belonging, friendships, school connection, competition, learning, career exploration, and skill development.

If you've been thinking about starting an esports program but haven't taken the next step, you don't need to have every answer today.

Start with a conversation.

Find out what's possible.

Understand what your organization needs.

Then build something that works for your educators and gives your students another reason to be excited about their future.