The world of eSports (electronic sports) is something that can come from as far back as the first computers being made. ESports has finally started to really gain some steam, and grow in popularity over the years. Actually, eSports has finally gotten its player to begin being accepted as athletes in today's world of sports. It has now been even to the point where we have colleges starting to see it as a sport so much that they are giving scholarships to certain individuals, just like in the bigger sports, making them college athletes. I'm under the impression that eSports is indeed a real sport. It has been brought to attention whether eSports is actually a sport though.
Now, in order to determine whether this is a sport, I'm going to break down the definition of what is a sport. It is a big topic whether or not eSports is actually able to be called a sport. Although the word ‘sport’ has different meanings and isn't really narrowed down to a specific one, I’d like to refer to the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition: “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment”. Whenever we look at the definition, we see that physical exertion is part of what a sport is. When it comes to eSports, there is physical activity going on. Modesti et al. (1994) conducted a study that showed that basal blood pressure is raised while playing a video game. Also, physical exertion could also be considered perceived exertion. Now, since physical exertion can also be perceived as exertion, then in this case it shows these eSports players are still experiencing some sort of physical exertion. The definition of sport shows that they are competing while having physical exertion throughout the course of the game.
The fact is eSports should be considered a sport, not a debate. ESports is a sport through what a sport and skill mean. These players should be able to recognize that they deserve by being called and seen as athletes. The pressures that are put on the gout and when massive tournaments for eSports games are incredibly hard to do. For instance, some of these tournaments can amount to the same pressure as the Super Bowl for football. So, it's time to start seeing these players as athletes who put their skills and entertainment into it.