Unimaginable to those of us who grew up on Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and, my favorite, the Nintendo 64, esports has emerged as a legitimate sport in recent years. Still, despite its soaring popularity, many people–say, for instance, KSR’s Ryan Lemond and Shannon The Dude–push back against “video games” joining the traditional sports landscape.
Esports’ critics use words like “nerdy” and “lazy” to argue against its place in sports. This stigma can be particularly difficult for young high school esports athletes who are passionate about gaming and want to pursue it as a career. You may be surprised to learn some of the numbers around esports.