Anyone who has ever participated in a Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament, spent countless hours fighting a bunch of strangers online in Call of Duty or even challenged a friend to a game of Trivia Crack while waiting in traffic cannot deny the fact that video games are incredibly competitive. We yell at our screens, accuse our competitors of cheating and, in times of victory, boastfully dance like we just made the winning touchdown.
Video games used to simply be a hobby reserved for free time or for friendly rivalries. But, video games have evolved significantly from Pokémon battles and Mario Kart races. For some multiplayer online video game League of Legends players, video games are not just a hobby; they’re a professional sport. Players from around the world are actually getting paid to join professional League of Legends teams, spend several hours a day training and compete against other teams in tournaments. Fans and wannabe professional gamers watch tournaments live on their computer screens and buy merchandise from their favorite teams. Universities are also catching on to the latest gaming trend; college campuses around the country have school-sponsored League of Legends teams, and a couple schools have even offered athletic scholarships to players.
It’s easy to see how a game like League of Legends could be classified as a sport. On the surface, it’s like a low-key NFL, but with an international appeal and an entirely different fan base. Just like how football teams train, strategize, cooperate and compete, League of Legends teams practice and plan every day with coaches and work together as a team to destroy the enemy team’s Nexus. Games are broadcasted live with actual sportscasters, and fans host viewing parties on major tournament days like it’s the Super Bowl.
Similarities aside, video games, even League of Legends, cannot possibly be classified as sports because, besides mashing buttons and clicking mouses, there is no real physical element. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of “sport” is “a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other.” While definitions are malleable and change overtime, our society will always perceive sports as physical demonstrations of agility and strength. Even when we describe someone as “athletic,” we refer to how muscular his or her build is and how well he or she throws a ball. Granted, video games require the same level of alertness, teamwork and hand-eye coordination, but it’s impossible for a gamer to be considered “athletic” without actually running or picking up a ball.
The same goes for college athletics. While League of Legends teams are usually sponsored by universities, compete against other college teams and could possibly win campuses a considerable amount of money in tournaments, it wouldn’t be fair to classify college players as student athletes. Student athletes are required to wake up at ungodly hours and spend a considerable amount of their time training. But, the dedication doesn’t stop there; student athletes even maintain special eating and sleeping habits to perform to the best of their ability on game day.
This is not to say that League of Legends is by any means easier or requires less work than playing a sport does. Playing League of Legends does require a lot of skill and practice, and players train tirelessly to master their craft. However, the type of work and dedication required of athletes and gamers is so different that it’s impossible to compare the two. Athletes require a constant maintenance of physical shape and ability, while video games are primarily mental.
It’s premature to already shove League of Legends into the “athletics” category because, in reality, it’s in a league of its own — pun intended. With our growing reliance on the Internet and the constant advancements of technology, there will certainly be other games in the near future that will seem to blur the line between hobby and sport. Until then, let’s label League of Legends what it actually is — a hyper-competitive video game.
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