The Esports Education Playbook

Power up learning for all learners Esports is taking the world by storm, growing to a billion dollar industry with competitions that have greater viewership than the Super Bowl. Colleges are awarding scholarships to talented esports players, and schools are becoming more interested in starting esports programs to provide opportunities for their students. Luckily the experts at Ready Learner One are here to show you how to harness your students’ enthusiasm for gaming and leverage the social, emotional, and communication benefits of esports for electrifying learning. The Esports Education Playbook walks educators through the process of establishing, managing, and coaching a scholastic esports team. From assuring buy-in from stakeholders to addressing common misconceptions about gaming, this book covers everything you’ll need to know in order to build an inclusive, dynamic esports program. What’s more, the Ready Learner One team plugs you into a powerful network of experts and organizations that can help you build your program with school-to-career pipelines and sustainable success. The Esports Education Playbook will get your athletes, and your whole school, cheering. “As someone who has played and coached football professionally, I can tell you that the collegiate esports athletes I currently coach require the same training and dedication as those in traditional sports. In this book, Chris, Steve, Christine, and Jesse show how esports is changing the game in how we perceive what is a sport and who is an athlete. This is required reading for anyone interested in how to create a successful esports program that provides opportunities for all students to be part of a team.” — Ahman Green , four-time Pro Bowl running back, Green Bay Packers, head coach of esports, Lakeland University

“Hands down, this is the best guide to scholastic esports ever written! In this book, thought leaders in gaming and education have assembled an unparalleled array of data, strategies, tools, tips, and tricks to enable any school, community organization, or group to start and grow successful, STEM-based, hands-on scholastic esports organizations. Newbies, novices and know-it-alls can use it to build custom gaming programs for kids in elementary, middle, and high school.”— Laylah Bulman , senior program officer, Samueli Foundation, founder, Florida Scholastic Esports League

“In esports, players are the experts in the game, while coaches are the experts in communication, planning, coordination, and attitude. Christine, Steve, Chris, and Jesse have perfectly captured the ‘why’ of esports. If you want to create a program that enriches the lives of your players and community, this is the book.” — Dr. Chris “Doc” Haskell , head coach, Boise State University, 2020 Collegiate Esports Coach of the Year (NAECAD), and 2020 Director of the Year (NACE)