Gaming is not sports.
Esports is a sport.

To this day, many people still don’t recognize the difference between gaming and esports.

On top of using their brains, esports athletes need incredible levels of hand-eye coordination & reflexes, long-lasting stamina & focus. If they don’t eat healthily and exercise, it affects their physical condition and causes brain fog. So most esports training regimes consist of physical training as well.

People take issue with esports because they think all esports players do is sit around, move their fingers and game.

But did you know how boring, repetitive, and stressful esports training can be? At the top level, nobody thinks of gaming as a source of enjoyment or relaxation. It just happens to be the activity you’re talented or gifted in. It’s merely a tool to best your opponent and win the prize.

On top of muscle memory training & reflexes training, imagine getting told off for your shortcomings every single day, being forced to reflect on your mistakes, and finding ways to improve so you won’t drag your teammates down.

Imagine an in-game misplay that costs you and your team a few million dollars.

Imagine having excruciatingly painful, inflamed tendons in your arms because of years of repetitive movements.

Imagine having blurred vision and headaches because you’ve been staring at the screen with such intense focus for hours on end.

Imagine having to live with neck & back pain for the rest of your life.

Not to mention how short the career lifespans are for esports athletes, sometimes even shorter than those of traditional sports athletes.

It’s an incredibly competitive field. Many are lured by the prospect of huge cash prizes into becoming esports athletes, but less than 1% can actually get their hands on them. Everyone at the top has sacrificed a great deal to get to where they are. Luck, discipline, physical condition, and mental strength also play big parts in this, and it’s nowhere near easy.

So please, stop equating gaming to esports and blaming your children’s gaming addiction on esports. It’s truly an insult to the years of blood, sweat, and tears that our esports athletes have put into training.

Gaming is not sports.
Esports is a sport.

To this day, many people still don’t recognize the difference between gaming and esports.

On top of using their brains, esports athletes need incredible levels of hand-eye coordination & reflexes, long-lasting stamina & focus. If they don’t eat healthily and exercise, it affects their physical condition and causes brain fog. So most esports training regimes consist of physical training as well.

People take issue with esports because they think all esports players do is sit around, move their fingers and game.

But did you know how boring, repetitive, and stressful esports training can be? At the top level, nobody thinks of gaming as a source of enjoyment or relaxation. It just happens to be the activity you’re talented or gifted in. It’s merely a tool to best your opponent and win the prize.

On top of muscle memory training & reflexes training, imagine getting told off for your shortcomings every single day, being forced to reflect on your mistakes, and finding ways to improve so you won’t drag your teammates down.

Imagine an in-game misplay that costs you and your team a few million dollars.

Imagine having excruciatingly painful, inflamed tendons in your hands because of years of repetitive movements.

Imagine having blurred vision and headaches because you’ve been staring at the screen with such intense focus for hours on end.

Imagine having to live with back pain, arm injuries or stress-induced medical conditions for the rest of your life.

Not to mention how short the career lifespans are for esports athletes, sometimes even shorter than those of traditional sports athletes.

It’s an incredibly competitive field. Many are lured by the prospect of huge cash prizes into becoming esports athletes, but less than 1% can actually get their hands on them. Everyone at the top has sacrificed a great deal to get to where they are. Luck, discipline and mental strength also play big parts in this, and it’s nowhere near easy.

So please, stop equating gaming to esports and blaming your children’s gaming addiction on esports. It’s truly an insult to the years of blood, sweat, and tears that our esports athletes have put into training.

If your child isn’t gifted in gaming, it will at best be a hobby or pastime; they will not suddenly become an esports player – if there are no orgs or clubs willing to sign them or pay them salary to compete, it’s considered a hobby and not a career.

And therein lies the difference between esports and gaming.