Perspectives on Middle School Esports

Competitive video games, or esports, have been making their way into high schools across Canada, though most middle school students have been left out of the game. This chapter will examine the identity and role of the various shared stakeholders at the middle years level, highlight the benefits of scholastic esports for middle school learners, and examine obstacles that may hinder the implementation of such programming, leaning on the experience of one such program in central Canada. The author will examine data collected over a span of four years on the impact of both coed and girls-only gaming environments in middle schools and how to support young female learners through gaming. Finally, this chapter will highlight the current landscape of K-12 scholastic esports with recommendations on how and why scholastic esports should have a place in Canadian schools.