With the growing popularity of competitive gaming, some have questioned the legitimacy of esports. Many individuals, including athletes and late-night talk show hosts have questioned whether a term such as the word "sports" can really be used to describe something like games. Is it fair to consider someone who is around a computer or gaming console all day an athlete? While most gamers would probably agree that somebody who plays a game like Halo or Call of Duty professionally isn't an athlete in the same way that somebody who plays within the NFL is an athlete, but is it really that different?

On the surface, you could argue that the 2 are nowhere close to being similar. Athletes in traditional sports happen to be honing their skills since childhood and have put in several hours working to get within the best physical shape possible. They spend hours every week studying the playstyle of their upcoming opponent, keeping a lookout for almost any weakness that could give them an advantage. They've fought their way throughout the minor leagues of their particular sport to be considered one of the best. Not just anybody can pick up a football, baseball, basketball, etc. and become a professional, there's a lot of hard-work, dedication, and sacrifice that goes into reaching that level. Alternatively, many of these things may also be said for professional gamers. Many gamers claim to have been playing computer games since they were young children, most beginning to pursue the competitive side of gaming in their early teens. They spend hours learning every component of their preferred game, learning things like secret jumps, nade points, and different angles for sniping. They additionally review film and watch streams of other players and teams to determine what they do in certain scenarios so they may be better equipped to counter that strategy. They've worked their way up from teams which are often comprised of neighborhood friends or people they have met playing online, to better teams hoping that they'll be noticed by among the top players and be given the chance to prove themselves. While millions of people all around the world play video games in some capacity, only a small portion of those possess the talent and dedication required to be considered a professional.

But traditional sports require teamwork. Athletes must work together as a way to reach a common goal. Other than a couple of single player electronic sports titles, most games that are played on the competitive level are team-based. Call of Duty, Halo, Counter Strike, League of Legends, Dota, Overwatch, etc. are generally played by teams of at least four players. In many e-sports, teams are comprised of players that can fill a given role. Much as with a sport like football in which you have some players whose job is to receive, while others are responsible for blocking for the quarterback, many team-based computer games have similar roles. For example, in a game like Halo you might have one player whose primary role is to go for the objective, while another player may mostly focus on getting kills. Also like in traditional sports, even though a player may have a primary role, the top players will be able to fill whatever role is necessary. This really is similar to a football player who primarily plays defense, but should also be able to catch and run the ball if given the opportunity at an interception. As will be the case with other sports, being the best team player is just one of the greatest attributes a gamer may have. It doesn't really matter how good a player's shot is if they are unable to communicate to their teammates what they are seeing or help force players to spawn in the specific place in order to capture a flag. How a person plays as part of a team will make or break their career.

Among the main things people will argue is the fact that athletes in traditional sports face a lot greater risk of injury than professional gamers. While athletes are at a larger risk for injuries like broken bones, torn ligaments, concussions, etc., esports bet information (on the main page) aren't completely risk free. Whenever you spend ten hours or maybe more of your day staring at a gaming monitor and rapidly tapping buttons on a controller or pressing keys on a computer keyboard, there's a risk for things like eye strain and carpal tunnel in the event the right precautions aren't taken. While it may not be totally fair to compare these seemingly minor injuries to those suffered by traditional athletes, they may still affect someone both in and out of game and could potentially be profession ending.

Unlike most professional athletes, many professional gamers also have other responsibilities for example school and jobs. Gamers in the smaller esports aren't typically under salary, so must typically depend upon tournament winnings. Although making a name for yourself on platforms for example YouTube and Twitch can definitely help supplement that income, many professional gamers must hold other jobs outside of gaming. Therefore they must learn to balance gaming with work and may have to sacrifice time with loved ones to ensure they can be up to speed with the competition.

Is it possible that one day there will be Little League gaming teams or that kids will say they want to be the next Walshy or Ogre 2 rather than wanting to be the next Peyton Manning or Michael Jordan? Not long ago I might have said no, but with electronic sports continuing to gain popularity and becoming recognized as a far more legitimate industry, I am not so sure, especially with colleges for example the University of California in Irvine offering e-sports scholarships. Irrespective of whether e-sports will ever be considered within the same space as more traditional sports, the future definitely looks bright.