Applying the Sport Education Model to Extracurricular Secondary Esports Programs

Organized competitive video gaming, more commonly known as esports, has grown into a multi-million-dollar industry. In fact, esports have expanded greatly in the last decade into professional and intercollegiate gaming teams and leagues. More recently, esports have become commonplace in educational settings as an extra-curricular activity. However, many teachers who oversee secondary esports programs or have interest from students in beginning a program have expressed difficulties in gaining administrative support for esports as a school-sponsored extra-curricular activity. This lack of support often stems from a perceived lack of value and/or lack of curricular framework for esports. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present an esports curriculum using the Sport Education model utilizing the game Rocket League. The aim is to provide a starting point for teachers who are interested in creating or enhancing their secondary esports program through an initial curriculum concept aligned with International Society for Technology in Education Standards and the SHAPE America National Physical Education Standards to better position their esports program as a school-sponsored extra-curricular activity.