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As digital arenas continue to gain legitimacy, Florida is on the brink of embracing esports as an official high school sport. The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is exploring the inclusion of video gaming in its sanctioned list of competitive sports, reflecting the growing enthusiasm and participation in esports programs across its schools.
Currently, numerous Florida high schools have active esports clubs, illustrating student-driven engagement with competitive gaming. This move by FHSAA could not only formalize this interest but also propel academic and scholarship opportunities for gamers.
“The debate about whether competitive gamers can be considered athletes may never end. In the meantime, though, gamers are increasingly acting like them,” The New York Times reported in 2019, on a movement whose most ardent origins hail from South Korea. “Eating right, sleeping right, exercising, cleaning up for sponsors — these ideas have undergirded traditional sports for generations. In e-sports, they are regarded as almost radical.” The pandemic only accelerated the attraction to esports.]
The association is methodically gathering data and feedback from schools to assess the infrastructure and interest levels required to support esports as a sanctioned sport.
FHSAA board member Trevor Berryhill, who also is athletic director for Oviedo private school The Master’s Academy, was among the members who voiced support for sanctioning esports.
“Last year we had a student get a scholarship to Florida State (University) in esports. He also is a part of their NIL (name, image and likeness) collective,” Berryhill said, referring to student-athletes at the collegiate level being able to earn money from business agreements such as endorsement deals.
Should they go forward, it would be a significant step in recognizing the skill, teamwork, and strategic thinking involved in esports, aligning it with traditional sports in educational settings and fostering new avenues for student growth and recognition in the digital age.
