  ![K-12 Esports: Five Misconceptions, Addressed](/sites/default/files/styles/rounded_rectangle_1x/public/shutterstock_278969585.jpg?itok=RruXEOfQ) 

 

  

  # K-12 Esports: Five Misconceptions, Addressed

  

 

 

 

   ![](/sites/default/files/styles/small_thumbnail/public/1-1-kailey.jpg?itok=lfIwpIdp) 

 

 

 [Kailey Rhodes](/team/krhodes) 

 

 Learning Experience Designer 

 

 

 

 

 

  Date  
 November 30, 2020

  Categories 

 [Esports](/blog/category/esports) 

 

 

  

 Esports are here to stay, but so are the common arguments against them. And for good reason: we all want to make sure our students succeed! So how do we honor stakeholders' concerns and address common misconceptions in an anti-naive, pro-progress way? I discuss five of the most frequent "cons" against esports in the video below. Check out the resources in this post for further reading.

## Esports Resources

- [Everything You Wanted to Know about Esports (But Were Afraid to Ask) ](https://www.clarity-innovations.com/blog/krhodes/everything-you-wanted-know-about-esports-were-afraid-ask)
- [Leagues of Learning: The Rising Tide of Esports in Education ](https://www.k12blueprint.com/sites/default/files/Intel-Esports-in-Education-19Dec2019.pdf)
- [Fueling an Appetite for Esports at Fresno USD ](https://www.k12blueprint.com/sites/default/files/Intel-CCG-FUSD-Esports-Case-Study_27Feb2020.pdf)
- [Common Sense Media: Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Esports ](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-esports)

## Misconceptions: Further Reading

### Video Games Glorify Violence 

- [Nonviolent Esports Take Centerstage for Olympics 2024](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/esports-olympics-nonviolent-2024/ "External Link")
- [Vox](https://www.vox.com/2019/8/26/20754659/video-games-and-violence-debate-moral-panic-history "External Link"): Well-Cited Article about the Ongoing Causal Debate of Video Games and Violence

### Player Toxicity/Cyberbullying

- [UNICEF #GotYourBack](https://esports-news.co.uk/2020/01/16/fnatic-marcus-rashford-unicef-campaign-got-your-back/ "External Link")
- [The Fair Play Alliance](https://fairplayalliance.org/about/ "External Link")
- [Evolve Youth: Player Code of Conduct](https://www.evolveyouthesports.com/code-of-conduct "External Link")

### Screen Time/Team Charters

- [EdTech: Real Schools with Esports](https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2019/01/esports-programs-start-pop-k-12-schools "External Link")
- NASEF Esports Team Charter ([Word download](https://www.nasef.org/media/1238/club-charter-template-north-america-scholastic-esports-federation.docx "Word Doc Download"))

### Addictiveness of Esports

- [Get Gamers Out of the Seat with These Other Roles](https://britishesports.org/news/what-types-of-esports-jobs-are-there/ "External Link")
- [Psychology Today](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/media-spotlight/201308/are-video-games-addictive "External Link"): *"People who game for fun or socializing are less likely to become hooked than people who are caught up in the need for status or simply to escape from the problems in their lives."*

### Better Grades, Better Wellness

- [Pro Gamers Tout Wellness](https://thenextweb.com/news/esports-athletes-gym-training "External Link")
- [Professional Athletes Love Esports](https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2017/05/23/new-athletic-training-facility-for-excelling-in-esports/?sh=68ee5fcf2248 "External Link")