eSports at the Rec Center? — Episode 046

Three million dollars. That’s how much Kyle Giersdorf just won at
the Fortnite World Cup — a video game competition held at the
Arthur Ashe tennis stadium in New York. That’s right. He won
$3 million playing video games in a place
typically reserved for the US Open.


eSports, or video game competitions, isn’t new, but it is a
growing trend. So much so that eSports is starting to make a
space for itself in the world of parks and recreation. Durango
Parks and Recreation in Colorado, for example, has included
large-scale, competitive video gaming in its draft master plan.


Cort and I had the opportunity to chat about eSports with Neelay
Bhatt — Vice President at PROS Consulting, NRPA board member, and
an established thought leader in the field of parks and
recreation. Our conversation stemmed from the speed session
Neelay will be presenting this year at the NRPA Annual Conference
in Baltimore titled, “eSports 101: Just What the Heck Is eSports
and Why/How Should My Agency Participate in It?”


In this episode we discuss what eSports is, its impact on parks
and recreation and the potential opportunities it presents.