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Esports (Electronic Sports)

What is Esports?

The meteoric rise of Esports has reshaped competitive gaming. At its core, Esports features organized individual and team-based multiplayer matches, across seasons, leagues, tournaments, and events. Intricate ranking systems categorize player skill. This blend of technology, strategy, and dexterity defines Esports. The potential extends beyond competition and transforms learning. The goal is to design and deliver high-quality, safe, and inclusive learning experiences for all students. This includes enriching opportunities and effective risk management.

Build Inclusive Communities

Esports cultivates welcoming communities, offering a unique space for students of all backgrounds and talents to connect through their shared interests and passion for gaming.

Develop Essential Skills

Esports goes beyond gaming, fostering critical thinking, teamwork, communication, and goal setting. It teaches valuable life skills like discipline and time management, preparing students for success.

Ignite Competitive Spirit 

Esports offers a unique and exciting avenue for competition, extending beyond traditional sports. It provides a platform for students to test their skills and push their limits.

Shape Student Pathways 

Esports opens doors for students. It offers direct career pathways such as player development, coaching, and professional gaming, as well indirect careers pathways such as broadcasting, computer science, and business.

Esports Guidance for Educators

The Department of Education recognizes the potential of Esports to engage students, cultivate essential skills, foster a positive learning environment, and provide career pathways. We are committed to developing comprehensive guidelines that address potential gaming risks while promoting a safe, inclusive Esports experience that welcomes all students. Ultimately, our goal is to support the development of essential skills that benefit students academically and prepare them for future success.

To ensure responsible use of Esports tools, principals are encouraged to review and reinforce existing policies such as the Acceptable Use Policy, Technology Responsible Use Guidelines, and the Code of Conduct. These policies establish clear expectations for all technology use in our schools.

Parallels to Athletics

While Esports may take place in the virtual realm, they share a remarkable number of parallels with traditional athletics.  The competitive spirit, the dedication required, and even the physical demands challenge the notion that Esports are merely "games." Let's delve into the striking similarities that connect these two worlds.

Organized Participation: Individuals or teams compete in structured competitions governed by established rules. This can involve leagues, tournaments, or specific events.

Dedication and Training: Athletes dedicate significant time to training and refining their skills to achieve competitive success. This includes honing physical and mental aspects crucial for peak performance.

Mental and Physical Demands: Demands intense mental focus and concentration, pushing competitors to their cognitive limits. Esports athletes, despite the virtual nature of their sport, also require physical fitness and health to maintain peak reaction time, hand-eye coordination, and overall well-being.

Sportsmanship and Ethics: Athletes are expected to uphold high standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. This includes demonstrating respect for opponents, teammates, coaches, officials, and the game itself, while embodying qualities like fair play, honesty, and graciousness in victory and defeat.

Scholarship and Career Opportunities: Esports offer scholarship opportunities and potential pathways to professional careers for dedicated and skilled individuals.

Esports Toolkit | Program Development

Competition Progression

In advancing Esports within schools, a tailored progression is prioritized, ensuring each academic level offers a scaffolded experience for students. Throughout this progression, the goal is to provide a natural pathway for students, allowing them to build upon their experiences and skills organically. The selection of games evolves to match the maturing interests of the students while maintaining educational relevance.

This program outlines a framework for introducing and promoting age-appropriate Esports and gaming opportunities for students across different age groups, emphasizing skill development, positive gaming experiences, and responsible participation.

Key Considerations

Elementary School (K-5)

Game Selection and Competition Structure:

Age-appropriate games focusing on logic, problem-solving, and collaboration. Friendly in-school competitions emphasize participation, fun, and sportsmanship through short, non-pressure matches.

Middle School (6-8)

Game Selection and Competition Structure:

Introduces a broader range of games, including strategy and basic Esports genres, with diverse multiplayer options. Students can explore games that require critical thinking and teamwork, always adhering to the appropriate ERSB ratings. Parental consent will be required for games rated Everyone 10+. Competitions include structured, inter-school tournaments and leagues, with an emphasis on learning from losses and improvement alongside the competitive spirit.

High School (9-12)

Game Selection and Competition Structure:

Offers advanced gameplay, Esports-specific titles, and organized competition. Popular Esports titles with high skill ceilings are considered, adhering to ERSB ratings. Parental consent will be required for games rated Everyone 10+ or Teen. Advanced competitions involve dedicated teams with potential collegiate scouting opportunities and hosting Esports events to build school spirit and community support.

Skills Development and Positive Gaming Environment:

Fosters a supportive and inclusive environment while encouraging responsible gaming habits. Develops critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills in a safe and engaging way.

Skills Development and Positive Gaming Environment:

Begins focusing on skill development in specific games, emphasizing strategic thinking and teamwork. Provides opportunities for workshops or seminars on gaming strategy and sportsmanship. Hones hand-eye coordination, decision-making under pressure, and sportsmanship.

Skills Development and Positive Gaming Environment:

Develops a structured training program with dedicated coaching for competitive teams. Focuses on advanced skill development in specific Esports titles, preparing students for higher levels of competition. Cultivates strategic thinking, teamwork, and dedication while preparing for potential collegiate Esports opportunities and exploring career pathways related to Esports. Fosters excellence, teamwork, and dedication while representing the school in a positive light.

Coaching Support

The department recognizes the crucial role coaches play in the success of Esports programs at all levels. We are committed to providing resources and support to equip coaches with the necessary knowledge and skills.

Training Resources (NFHlearn.com)

Club Membership and Constitution

To promote a safe and inclusive environment within the Esports program, schools are encouraged to establish clear criteria for joining the program and outline expectations for participants. These details are further explained in a club constitution or membership agreement, developed collaboratively by the program's leadership, coaches, and students. This document serves as an internal guideline outlining specific rules, procedures, and expectations for the club's operation. By encouraging student participation in creating these guidelines, the program fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility among participants, promoting a more self-directed and sustainable program.

Game Hardware

The titles you plan to offer in your Esports program will significantly affect your hardware choices. This is because each game has different technical requirements to run smoothly, especially for competitive play. To ensure fairness and an optimal experience for all players, it's crucial to choose hardware that meets or exceeds the recommended specifications for the chosen games.

While we won't delve into specific brands or models, we recommend focusing on key components like processors, RAM, and graphics cards known to deliver strong gaming performance. Additionally, consider peripherals like high-refresh rate monitors and ergonomic keyboards for enhanced comfort and competitive edge. Remember to budget effectively and explore various options to find the best value while maintaining performance standards.

Nintendo Switch

Titles: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Kart 8, and Rocket League

Xbox and Playstation

Titles: Madden, NBA 2K, FIFA, Street Fighter, and Minecraft

PC laptops or desktops

Titles: Valorant, Fortnite, League of Legends, and Rocket League

HIDOE Guiding Documents

These guidelines are intended to protect the Department’s information, assets, users, and information technology resources in compliance with federal regulations, state laws, and Board of Education policies.

Guiding students in their use of technology as a tool to support their achievement and encourages their use of HIDOE-owned or leased digital devices, network, and internet services for educational programs within the framework of its responsible use guidelines.

The purpose of this Code of Conduct (Code) is to establish standards of conduct for all employees, contractors, and volunteers of the Hawaii Department of Education (DOE).

Support Options

Office of Curriculum and Instructional Design

Capacity building and
implementation support.

Office of Information Technology Services

Digital security and
access support.

Office of Strategy, Innovation and Performance

Data privacy and
sharing support.

Contact us at:  shane.asselstine@k12.hi.us