Esports - FRPA Main Site

The Florida Recreation Esports Council has compiled this page of resources and information in hopes that park and recreation professionals will learn more about esports and the positive impacts such a program could have on their communities.

Esports is a growing sector of the recreation field throughout the country. Simply put, it is a competition using video games. These competitions bring together a diverse audience of participants in the community and allow them to compete on an equitable base. Additionally, agencies throughout the state used esports as a way to connect participants during the pandemic.

Esports 101 - an online webinar that introduces you to the benefits of esports as a recreational program, getting started, and considerations. This presentation was done in April 2022 by Alex Koagel.

Esports 102 - a follow up of 101 that outlines the benefits in detail to your organization and community, as well as addressing some of the stigma associated with esports. Presented by Michael Kalvort and CJ Keester in April 2022.

FRPA Journal Article | Spring 2020 | What Are Esports?

"Getting Started" Presentation by Alex Koagel for FRPA Conference

"The Next Level" Presentation by Alex Koagel for FRPA Conference

Presentation by Michael Kalvort for NRPA

National Esports Association

FRPA's Park Spark Podcast | Episode 3 | All About Esports!

There are many different types of games to incorporate into your programs.
Be mindful of any ratings associated with the game you will introduce to be sure you are not allowing for underage play on a more mature game.
Below are some of the more popular games in each category. You will need to check specifics such as number of players and ratings to determine if the game is right for your program.
Check the ratings of the game you'd like to offer: https://www.esrb.org/ratings-guide/

Sports games
Simulate sports games.
FIFA (Soccer)
Madden (Football)
NBA 2K (Basketball)
PGA (Golf)
MLB The Show (Baseball)
Rocket League (vehicular soccer)

Fighting games
Allow for one-on-one competition and other gameplay options.
Super Smash Bros (up to four-on-four)
Tekken
Street Fighter

Racing
Simulates racing.
Examples:
Forza
F1
Gran Turismo
Need for Speed
Mario Kart

First Person Shooter (FPS)
Third Person Shooter (TPS)
Games involving hunting, hiding, and shooting.
Examples:
Fortnite
Call of Duty
Halo

Sandbox Play
These types of games have open environments and allow for more player choice.
Examples:
Minecraft
Roblox
The Sims

Real Time Strategy (RTS) and Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA)
Games allow for individual control or control of a faction and choices within the game for strategy.
Examples:
League of Legends
Warcraft
DOTA

Platformer
Side views of player and simple controls - more nostalgic games.
Examples:
Super Mario Bros
Crash Bandicoot
Sonic

Digital Card Games
Online card games.
Magic
Hearthstone

Mobile
Pokémon
Words with Friends
Angry Birds

Source: https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/tech-takes/video-game-genres

The following rulesets are good examples for the recreation setting: (many include multiple games so open the document and search for the game you're looking for.)
Mission Control FRPA Tournament
GG Leagues Rulebooks
City of Seminole
Mission Control Rulesets

If you would like to find others, simply google the name of the game and "rulesets" and evaluate it for your needs.

Leagues and tournaments would be set up similarly to your physical sports leagues.
Running leagues vs tournaments is solely up to how much you're ready to take on. Some departments offer all the programming in house, meaning they have a space for players to meet up and equipment for them to use (or for players to bring their own and use). Some offer leagues where the players play off site and report scores to the person in charge. Either way, organization can be as simple as a spreadsheet to keep track of games or the utilization of a company or app to help facilitate. Take into consideration that you can do a tournament in a smaller timespan like over a weekend where your league can occur over months.

Costs
Costs of Console: $300-$500 depending on the current generation or next generation
Costs of PC: $2,000-2500 (May require more updates/costs to keep up-to-date)
Costs of third party provider (Mission Control, GG Leagues, etc) - these are individualized contracts
Additional equipment to consider:

games
- Cost of games can be from free to $70 each.
- Many mobile games will be located on a personal device.
additional controllers
- Average $60
online subscriptions
- Dependent on lengths or subscription ($20-$60 annually)

Consider the investment - some consoles become outdated after time so have a plan for replacement every six or seven years.
Also consider that some players will bring their own equipment (Switch, etc.)
See Tips section below for more cost saving ideas.

Tips
Don't offer too many options right off the bat – start with a few games and build up players.
Hosting a tournament is a great way to get started and gauge interest - collect a list of people to contact once you're ready to form a league!
Use equipment/resources you might already have access to (teen programs, youth room).
Some participants will provide own equipment such as personal devices like Switch.

Florida
City of Seminole
City of Port St Lucie
City of Lighthouse Point
City of Palm Bay
Hillsborough County
Full Sail Armada

Nationally

Contacts
Alex Koagel - City of Seminole Esports Program - akoagel@myseminole.com
CJ Keester - City of Port St Lucie Esports Program - ckeester@cityofpsl.com
Jared Dawson - City of Palm Coast ESports Program - jdawson@palmcoastgov.com

State Tournament
Info coming soon

2021 Winners:

Esports Discussion Group

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