Youth sport 2.0? The development of eSports in Norway from 2016 to 2019

Tjønndal, Anne; Skauge, Mads

doi:10.1080/2159676x.2020.1836509

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…This is one of the elements that critics of esports often forget: sport is also about community (Hedlund et al, 2021). For Mats, traditional, Olympic (or Paralympic) sport did not have the same social inclusivity effect that esports provided, emphasizing the power of modern sport for able-bodied and parasport participants (Tjønndal & Skauge, 2021). So, the question becomes, how do critics like Parry reconcile esports?…”

Section: Myth #2: Esports Does Not Meet the Criteria For A Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One important anecdote that bears repeating is the story of one competitive gamer, Mats, a Norwegian, born with a muscle disorder that relegated him to a wheelchair and shortened his life. As Tjønndal and Skauge (2021) recounted, Mats utilized competitive gaming to escape his physical handicap and inability to socialize with others through traditional sport. After his passing, Mats' parents, who were concerned about the potential seclusion and loneliness associated with video gaming, were astounded to see his gaming companions (whom he had never met) attend his funeral.…”

Section: Myth #2: Esports Does Not Meet the Criteria For A Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Actually, Esports Is Sport

Naraine

2021

sij

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In 2019, Jim Parry, a sport philosophy and Olympic scholar, wrote an article entitled “E-sports are not sports”. While their position is admirable, their commentary is rife with inaccuracies. In short, Parry panders two key myths that sour a balanced discussion of esports as a sport: (1) esports is seeking to become an Olympic sport, and (2) esports does not fit the definition, however arbitrary, of sport. In this response piece, both myths are dispelled and, ultimately, esports is positioned as a form of modern sport that should be accepted (but perhaps not actively supported) by traditionalists. The argument is made that sport can fall into either traditional or modern forms, and that given more technological innovations are on the way, it is critical that sport is not restrictive and remains inclusive to new forms.

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Section: Myth #2: Esports Does Not Meet the Criteria For A Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Myth #2: Esports Does Not Meet the Criteria For A Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Actually, Esports Is Sport

Naraine

2021

sij

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“…Currently, there is limited empirical evidence on the associated benefits of participation in adolescent esports programs. However, research indicates that such programs have the potential to positively impact the development of communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills (Rothwell and Shaffer, 2019 ), professional and academic skills, social and emotional learning (Reitman et al, 2020 ), social belonging and mental health (Tjønndal and Skauge, 2020 ). In addition, only a small proportion of students enrolled in these programs have report problematic gaming behaviours (e.g., gaming addiction; Ortiz de Gortari, 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, other critics of adolescent video game usage have raised concerns about poor nutrition, decreased PA levels, and potential behavioural disorders related to increased video game usage (Balatoni et al, 2020 ). Esports programs, on the other hand, might offer an opportunity to engage adolescents who may not be so interested in traditional sports clubs (Tjønndal and Skauge, 2020 ) and, thus, miss out on the important developmental opportunities available in traditional sports, such as a growth mindset (Lauer et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The perception among adult e-athletes that PA is not important for performance may be due to the previous lack of developmental esports programs. Current research suggests that PA is becoming a normal part of high school esports program, with high schools in Austria, Norway and the USA including regular PA as part of their esports programs (Rothwell and Shaffer, 2019 ; Tjønndal and Skauge, 2020 ; Wimmer et al, 2021 ). This study seeks to build on the findings of previous literature by exploring the frequency of which e-athletes enrolled in a high school esports program are physically active and compare their PA levels with an aged-matched control group.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examining the Impact of School Esports Program Participation on Student Health and Psychological Development

et al. 2022

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This study examined the influence of 7 high school esports developmental programs on student self-regulation, growth mindset, positive youth development (PYD), perceived general health and physical activity (PA), and sport behaviour. A total of 188 students (male n = 120; female n = 68) originally participated (89 enrolled in an esports program in their school and 99 acted as aged-matched controls), with 58 participants (n = 19 esports group; n = 39 controls) completing both pre- and post-program information. At baseline, no significant differences were found between youth e-athletes and their aged-matched controls. The analysis for the observation period showed a significant interaction effect for the PYD confidence scale, with post-hoc comparisons showing a significant decrease in the control group from pre- to post assessment whereas the esports group remained the same. Time main effects showed a decrease in the self-regulation motivation factor, PYD connection factor and PA for all participants. Overall, this study showed that students enrolled in their respective school esports program did not differ from those who did not in self-regulation, growth mindset, PYD, perceived health and PA, and sport behaviour. It was likely that all participants showed a decrease in motivation, connection, and PA due to COVID19 lockdown during the study period. This study is the first to investigate the longitudinal impact of student involvement in high school esports and showed that esports participation did not have a negative impact on any health or psychological factors.

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