When you think of learning new life skill, video games typically aren’t top of mind as a way to facilitate learning. However across Canada, more and more schools are creating their own eSports teams as a way to get students more engaged, and work on skills such as teamwork, communication and discipline.
Nicole Bureau is a teacher at Ecole Viscount Alexander. She had always wanted to start a eSports team at her school, telling Global News that she knew she had to start small if it was going to take off.
“A little nervous to get it started,” explained Bureau. “And worried about being overwhelmed. So I really kept it small this year, and called it my ‘beta year’.”
Like any hero coming from humble beginnings, Bureau’s students quickly became champions, as a group of Grade 8 students claimed provincial and national recognition for an escape room they designed and built within the game Minecraft.
Kyle Bushek was one of the students who helped build that escape room. For him, games like Minecraft aren’t just fun, they allow him to explore his passions.
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“I really think of the endless possibilities,” said Bushek. “And how you can make whatever you want.”
School-facilitated eSports programs don’t just provide a space for students to be engaged, they also help provide students with options for extracurricular activities if they don’t show interest in more traditional physical sports.
On Thursday and Friday, the Manitoba Schools eSports Association is hosting its second annual Scholastic eSports Expo at Red River College Polytechnic. It’s an event bringing together students from over 30 schools from across the province, where they play games such as Brawlhalla, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Rocket League and Pokemon Unite.
Organizer and CEO of eSports Canada Melissa Burns says gaming isn’t going away anytime soon as it continues to become more and more a part of popular culture. The purpose and goal of events like the eSports Expo are to provide structured and intentional guidance.
“We’ve seen the statistics, and 89 per cent of Canadian youth are playing every single day,” said Burns. “We can make it intentional, where we can turn things around, and instead of just having it be just a casual space where there are no rules, we’re now introducing a lot of those concepts from traditional sports.”
That intent helps prevent kids from becoming dysregulated, and avoid becoming ‘Toxic players’.
“Things we see very commonly, whether it be playing basketball with your friends on the street or playing Rocket League in an open lobby, is that when you get frustrated,” Burns said.
“And what we’re doing is we’re allowing them to have those moments of discomfort and dysregulation, but then giving them a safe space where we can now have a conversation about it and turn the conversation around and look at how do we deal with those hard emotions, how do we deal with loss, and how do we also win graciously and create spaces where everyone can feel like they belong?“
And it’s not just playing the games. Students use video games as a stepping stone into other paths, with some students helping with the production and streaming of the event on platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Discord.
All these little opportunities add up, explained Burns.
“Having the opportunity to develop some of these skills that are career skills, when you’re in middle school and high school, and having experience to back it up just establishes you as being set up for success.
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