Video gaming a sport? The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is considering adding it as a varsity sport.
Some people think video games aren’t sports because they don’t require any physical endurance.
“I don’t think it should be a sport, and I believe the MHSAA won’t make it one,” said Yasir Hamdan, athletic director and dean of students at Universal Academy in Southwest Detroit.
A recent poll of 225 students conducted at Ben Carson High School found that 51% of people believed that video games shouldn’t be a sport while 46% think that video games should be a sport. The poll also found females oppose video gaming becoming a sport more than males. Ninth grade student Michael Roberson said, “ If I was still into it like I was, I would want it to be a varsity sport, but I’m not into it anymore.” Ninth grader Shyniah Lewis said, “Video gaming is very popular, so yeah it should be a sport. “
Video games have a huge competitive scene as big as or bigger than sports organizations such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. To put into perspective how big the Esports scene is in 2016 the Grand Finals for the popular fighting game Street Fighter V had more viewers watching on ESPN than the NBA Grand Finals.
