As your procurement team looks at trends in higher education institutions and K-12 school districts, we’re seeing a growing emphasis on adding esports programs into the curriculum. The emergence of the competitive gaming scene has advanced in recent months, and school administrators in all levels of education are looking at how to incorporate esports into academic and sporting programs.
The idea would be for esports to serve as an extension of current programs providing your students with a new outlet to learn valuable lessons in STEM, collaboration, inclusion, social skills and good sportsmanship. This engaging method of reaching students can help children and teens lay the groundwork for strategic thinking and problem-solving.
From procurement’s perspective, it’s working with school leaders and other stakeholders to find a way to fold this popular competitive video gaming into existing IT infrastructure and learning spaces. Your cooperative purchasing organization can streamline this process for you as their industry-leading suppliers are a step ahead in offering solutions to meet the diverse esports needs of your school district or university.
Through your cooperative, procurement, school administrators and IT professionals can understand and align on the most cost-effective and streamlined strategy for including esports in your curriculum.
What is Esports?
Esports encompasses structured, multiplayer video game contests, especially among professional gamers, either individually or in teams. Esports covers a wide range of genres, including first-person shooters (FPS), real-time strategy (RTS), multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), and sports simulation games. Popular titles include games like League of Legends, Fortnite, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and Overwatch.
Esports events can be as grand as any traditional sports event, complete with live audiences, sponsorships, and media coverage. The ecosystem includes professional players, coaches, broadcasters, sponsors, and millions of fans worldwide. Schools and universities are also embracing esports, adding it to their extracurricular activities and even offering scholarships for top players.
Benefits for Students & Schools
The world of esports is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and experts say it may even earn a spot in the Olympics one day. It’s safe to say many of your students are likely gamers, and down the road at a professional level, multiplayer competitive gaming has opened up a world where gamers can make a good living playing in tournaments.
Some colleges and universities already offer esports courses to students with a total of tens of millions in scholarships available. College esports teams can attract students and prove their school is innovative and in touch with student needs. Esports can also help high schoolers with college enrollment. As a newer interest for K-12 administrations, school leaders are working out how to cost-effectively include esports into the curriculum.
Esports provides an opportunity for students who would otherwise not participate in extracurricular activities or sports. The gaming environment removes gender and disability barriers while encouraging transferable skills such as goal setting, problem-solving, teamwork and communication and overall can help with character development. Kids and teens can also explore STEM’s focuses of science, technology, engineering and math in different contexts along with video and sound editing, graphic design, broadcasting and event planning.
Equipping Your School or Campus
Hardware and software with ample bandwidth and network security are needed for gaming, and this will require buy in from your IT stakeholders. Your cooperative advisors and subject matter experts can help you with the educational aspect for success in stakeholder alignment.
To get your purchasing team familiar with the strong IT infrastructure and flexible furniture needs of setting up an esports program, we’re taking a look at what products and solutions your schools would need:
- Security – School teams need a plan for security threats and defense. On-premise solutions are preferred for tight control and prevention to stop game interference.
- Network speed & agility – In the streaming platforms where tournaments are broadcast, there can be delays and massive groups of players, so you’ll want to have playback functionality that’s quick with flawless operation.
- Gaming hardware – The consoles or computers that operate the games. Schools will want to consider features like processing power, hard drives, memory and graphics cards.
- Furniture – Modular furniture and chairs with ergonomic features are also helpful. Student athletes need active seating-type chairs that move with their gaming movements along with tables and computer screens that adjust to the right eye level. Adjustable headrests are a must as they keep students' heads balanced on the torso helping prevent spinal deformity.
Getting Started with Cooperative Purchasing
Diving into the world of esports is an exciting venture that requires careful planning and investment in the right equipment. From powerful gaming hardware to ergonomic furniture and essential software, each component plays a critical role in the success of your esports initiative. By leveraging our cooperative purchasing organization, you can access top suppliers offering both integrated solutions and specialized options, ensuring you get the best products and value for your investment.
Your cooperative can help you get a jump start on answering the questions for administrators will have regarding the esports program:
- What leagues can our students compete in?
- What games can our students play and how do we stream?
- What security and network requirements do we need?
Whether you're setting up a professional team, a school club, or a recreational league, the right equipment will help you compete at the highest level and enjoy the thrilling world of esports. Join the growing community and transform your esports aspirations into reality with the support of our trusted suppliers. You can leverage the buying cooperative as a strategic part of your procurement strategy so you can drive efficiency, effectiveness and real savings within your agency or organization. We adhere to the highest standards of public procurement so you can feel secure knowing that you are in full compliance with industry regulations.
Interested in Learning More?
Check out a selection of our industry leading suppliers' content they have produced about esports to help you make your equipment sections: