Educating Through Esports

Esports have been growing as an extracurricular activity in high schools since the early 2020s and, more recently, have extended into middle schools and even the older elementary grades as well. The trend is global, with one organization, the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF), having 9,000 member clubs and more than 130 member federations in over 70 countries as of August 2025. The Consortium for School Networking estimated in 2024 that 39% of U.S. schools had esports programs in place; in Japan, according to NASEF, 80% of high schools have programs. 

Educators have found that esports in schools bring many benefits. They can improve attendance and school spirit and provide a sense of belonging, especially for less-engaged students; offer learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and other academic subjects; teach soft skills such as cooperation, communication, leadership, strategic thinking, good sportsmanship, and problem-solving; and lead to improved motivation, attendance, retention, and overall academic results. They also bring the potential for scholarships to universities, where e-sports teams have established themselves alongside traditional competitive sports, and, for some students, even create a career path. 

Meanwhile, the video game companies that work with esports providers in K12 schools are able to introduce new players to their games and strengthen existing players’ connection to their brands, as part of their mission to develop lifelong fans with an ongoing passion for gaming. Indirectly, the added exposure can boost sales of merchandise, both at present and in the future.

Entities that organize esports in schools and youth settings sometimes work with statewide federations and associations, sometimes with individual schools and programs, and sometimes with both. Some of the key players (of many) include: 

• PlayVS. In April 2025, PlayVS acquired another leading player, Generation Esports, along with Playfly College Esports. The transaction made it the largest scholastic and collegiate esports network, it said, extending its operations into more than 5,500 elementary, middle, and high schools and 900 colleges. Separately, PlayVS added the mobile online battle arena game Pokémon Unite to its U.S. and Canadian scholastic esports programs in a deal announced in August of this year; its current roster of other games includes Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, League of Legends, Rocket League, NBA 2K25, Madden NFL 25, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Street Fighter 6, Splatoon 3, and more. Generation Esports and its High School Esports League and Middle School Esports League worked with partners such as Fortnite and Ghost Gaming. 

• Elite Gaming Live. With a presence in grades 3-12, Elite Gaming expects to have 50 million students learning and competing on its platform by 2030. Games currently available for competition include Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Brothers, NBA 2K25, Rocket League, Madden NFL 2025, and FC 2025, among others.  

• Electronic Gaming Federation. EGF reaches high schoolers and middle schoolers, as well as college students, with games including Street Fighter, Rocket League, Overwatch 2, Valorant, NBA 2K25, Marvel Rivals, and more. 

• Interstate Scholastic Esports Alliance. This organization, founded by teachers, works with state-wide federations, leagues, and associations rather than individual schools and programs, reaching 80,000 players in 5,000 schools in 25 states. In August it announced a partnership with Nintendo of America to host tournaments for kids in grades 4-12 in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Splatoon 3. 

• K12 Esports. K12 offers a K12 Esports League for students of the virtual schools it operates, hosting both casual one-off tournaments and competitive leagues for students 13 and up. It recently added Marvel Rivals to a roster of games that also includes Fortnite, Fall Guys, Roblox, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Valorant.  

• U.S. Academic Esports League. USAEL, developed by educators, offers programs for students in grades 3-12. It works with publishers including Ubisoft, NetEase Games, and Riot Games. In addition to competition, it offers courses on esports and STEM for a variety of grade levels. 

Licensors with video game companies among their licensees also have opportunities to reinforce brand loyalty among young fans through scholastic esports, with sports properties most likely to do so to date. PlayVS, for example, announced a number of initiatives with licensors in 2025. It paired with Tottenham Hotspur for a “Game to Glory” youth gaming challenge for North American students aged 13-22, centered on EA Sports FC 26, including branded competitions and livestreams that immerse players in the tradition and culture of the British football club. With the National Football League, it paired for the second season of the Madden NFL Youth Championship, which expanded to include Canadian as well as U.S. students. And it worked with the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund for a Hockey Gaming Initiative Pilot for youth aged 13-21, starting in New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Detroit, along with a national virtual tournament for EA Sports NHL 25. Other scholastic esports operators have offered similar licensor-driven programs with these or other partners.