eSports: Redefining Competitive Sports
Reported By: Benny Schorie
Photographed By: Yolanda Diaz
In Spring 2022, George Fox University (GFU) created and opened an eSports arena for their competitive team and intramural tournaments. According to the GFU Athletics website, the “nearly-2,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility” is to take an already popular, on-campus sport and “bring it out of the shadows.” On top of competing in League of Legends and Rocket League, they added Valorant, Overwatch, Apex Legends, and Super Smash Brothers to their schedule last semester, according to GFU Athletics.
The Crescent previously reported on the development of GFU’s eSports program stating that the arena is meant to function similarly to other on-campus sports facilities by being open outside of team practice. Their goal is to give this undervalued community a space to thrive and be seen. However, the resources dedicated to building this program and its facility has become a source of discourse among students.
For some students, the funneling of money into another athletics program has shown once again a lack of care from administrators for maintaining the underserved liberal arts programs. In the last few years, GFU students have seen their majors problematically restructured or cut altogether. Art students have been denied a much-needed annex to replace their current distressed buildings. Despite this, GFU seemed hasty to give millions to the eSports program instead of its preexisting programs.
Others view this program’s build-out under the athletics department as bizarre. eSports are not inherently athletic, so hosting them within that department is not intuitive. It could be seen as disingenuous to traditional sports and athletics.
While I agree with anybody frustrated about the neglect of their programs, the eSports program and arena give GFU students a new opportunity to reframe their perspective on sports. Anybody who was not able to participate in athletics as a child, either from lack of interest or physical inability, understands the social stigma surrounding this.
American sports have upheld harmful stereotypes and expectations. For men, they are the pinnacle of masculinity. “Locker room talk” is notorious for homophobia, fatphobia, and bullying. Sports have become the sanctuary for toxic masculinity. For women, sports uphold toxic beauty standards, specifically problematic language about food.
Many grew up seeing sports as the “cool kids club” that left them on the outside. These people were left ostracized from the benefits of competitive sports like community building, teamwork, and discipline. Whether this was the intention of creating the program, eSports inverts our expectations and the problems of traditional sports.
Video games are accessible, gender-inclusive, and diverse. Having an eSports program on campus expands these positive attributes even more and gives an underserved community the opportunity to come together as a team.
Of course, the gaming community has severe problems, but these problems can be better addressed when gamers are allowed to come together in a safe environment with a common goal. If anything, GFU needs to go further beyond and continue breaking down traditional, stereotypical barriers.