Esports in ELO-P Programs: How STEMfinity Brings Competitive Gaming to Your Afterschool Site
Spirited competition can be found almost anywhere - including video games! Just like traditional sports, Esports can help ELO-P programs teach students valuable lifelong lessons in teamwork, communication under pressure, and sportsmanship (to name a few). Social gaming and Esports are much more prevalent among individuals under 40 years old, with many of them being lifelong gamers. Folks like myself began with the original Nintendo and fondly remember the days of having to blow air on a cartridge before inserting the game, and tuning to channel 3 on a clunky CRT television. Almost 25 years later, it is now possible to download almost any game on a mobile device that fits in your pocket and play them with friends who live on the other side of the planet. Speaking from personal experience, Esports and video games are a lifechanging tool that has enabled me to stay in touch with childhood friends on a regular basis. Instead of catching up with friends maybe once a year, I regularly get to see them online and ask how their families are doing (while occasionally yelling at them to hustle back on defense). Not only that, Esports have also directly improved my skill and knowledge of the traditional sports that I love while providing a safe environment for me to improve at my own pace.
So why should your ELO-P implement Esports when you already have sports at your program (or even none at all)? For starters, Esports can give non-athletic students the opportunity to meaningfully participate in a traditionally physical activity that they might not have the ideal skillset or size for. I always loved playing football and basketball as a kid, but I was always undersized and what I wanted to accomplish on the field wasn’t always possible with my skillset. I also realized that it wasn’t necessarily being on a real basketball court that gave me the most joy (although I certainly do enjoy it), and that it was doing something with my friends that meant the most to me. Esports also introduced me to different sports that I normally wouldn’t participate in due to extreme cost and danger like Formula 1 racing. Now that I am close to 40 years old, my body is thankful that I am sticking to Esports and not getting tackled by my friends in real life or driving a racecar at over 200 MPH.
Adding Esports to your ELO-P will also enhance existing athletics opportunities for students and give them a digital space to improve their game. A 2009 study from the University of Oregon found that athletes who played competitive Esports like Madden had a 60% higher football IQ than those who didn’t play the video game. This shouldn’t come as a surprise when you consider that Esports like Madden or NBA2K are an advanced digital simulation designed to replicate and perform like their real-life counterparts (made famous through EA Sports’ slogan “If it’s in the game, it’s in the game”). Through the use of motion-capture technology and advanced artificial intelligence, Esports games like NBA2K have detailed everything from a player’s shooting motion to their actual individual mannerisms so that it feels like you are really watching a live game on television. With this digital tool now regularly available, athletes are able to play hundreds of simulated scenarios across almost every sport and give them valuable extra experience that they normally wouldn’t receive.
For example, most 12 year olds who play Esports like Madden will know how to execute a 2-minute drive and have several playcalls and audibles committed to memory, while historically, most varsity athletes wouldn’t even be introduced to in-depth playcalling during their playing careers outside of their specific role on a specific play. Combining Esports with an on-field playing career will help athletes further understand the game that they love, and even improve their playing performance. But don’t take my word for it - take the word of Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr., who claims that playing NBA2K helped him improve as a basketball player and win the 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award: “When it comes to timing and stuff, I've always said my timing came from 2K, playing a lot of 2K. Video games definitely helped me win [Defensive Player of the Year]. I feel like I get my timing from 2K, and I’m being serious. It’s really all about; it’s a lot of instincts; you can’t be afraid.”
STEMfinity offers multiple Esports packages from great brands like STEM Forged, Mastery Coding, and Generation Esports that provide ELO-P programs with everything that they need to succeed on day 1 including standards-aligned curriculum, program materials, virtual coaching, IT support, hardware, professional development, access to national competitions, and much more. We recommend asking your students about their interest in each Esports title to see if there is a consensus among them regarding their favorite. Popular Esports titles include Minecraft, Among Us, Fortnite, Overwatch, FIFA, Madden, Rocket League, Chess, and many more.
If traditional sports or the existing Esports titles don’t interest your ELO-P program, we recommend checking out HADO - the world’s first augmented reality physical Esport. So what the heck does that even mean? While playing HADO, students are equipped with a VR headset that allows them to see their augmented virtual playing field while retaining mobility for physical activity and working with teammates in a fast-paced non-contact game that can be played indoors. While many traditional sports can end up excluding and segregating students based on size, skill, or age, HADO provides ELO-P programs with a level playing field that is fun and engaging for everyone. If the thought of implementing a new technology and Esport are a little intimidating, STEMfinity has you covered with a complete HADO bundle that has everything that you need to get up and running.
STEMfinity also offers the latest Esports hardware in case your ELO-P program is starting from scratch! We can create a custom Esports solution for your ELO-P, or you can browse our selection of hardware that includes products from Vive and Meta. Brands like STEM Forged, Mastery Coding, and Generation Esports also offer packages of all sizes that are intended for almost any environment including classrooms, afterschools, and summer camp programs. If you are still a little uneasy about investing a lot of time and resources into implementing an Esports program, STEMfinity offers on-site STEM 101 Professional Development where our team will customize a training for up to 30 educators to meet the needs of your ELO-P. Depending on the training dates that you request, STEMfinity will send “Mr. Science” himself, Jason Lindsey, a nationally-recognized STEM educator and meteorologist to your program to work directly with your ELO-P staff. Check out his amazing collection of science resources including his experiment of the week, games, activity guides, and his experiment video archive on his website to learn more about Jason.
So what is your ELO-P program waiting for? It’s time to get your students in the game! Our in-house STEM experts are standing by to help you select the Esports resources that are best for your students, staff, and budget! You can get started started by using one of the links below:
