Courtesy of Amy Whitlock
Kyle Bautista plays a sport. He started when he was 14 years old. He practices with his teammates and competes in tournaments.
But Kyle’s team doesn’t meet in a gym or on a field. Kyle plays e-sports, or competitive video gaming, for his high school in Oswego, Illinois. They play a game called League of Legends.
Kyle, now 18, joined the team when he was a freshman. Before he joined the team, he had never played e-sports. “I went in knowing that I loved playing video games,” he says. “A competitive team was a fun new step.”
Since Kyle joined the team, e-sports have really taken off. More than 1,200 schools have registered e-sports teams. About 200 colleges offer scholarships to e-sports players. But to some, the idea of e-sports sounds strange. People are often confused when Kyle’s coach, Amy Whitlock, mentions e-sports.
Kyle Bautista plays a sport. He practices with teammates. He also competes in tournaments.
But Kyle’s team doesn’t meet in a gym. They don’t play on a field. Kyle plays e-sports. This is competitive video gaming. Kyle plays for his high school in Oswego, Illinois. They play a game called League of Legends.
Kyle joined the team when he was a freshman. He was 14 years old then. Now he is 18. He had never played e-sports before. “I knew I loved playing video games,” he says. “A team was a fun new step.”
E-sports have really grown in recent years. More than 1,200 schools have e-sports teams. About 200 colleges offer scholarships to e-sports players.