FHSAA Considers Sanctioning Esports as Official Sport Amid Growing Interest

FHSAA Esports: With more and more member schools showing interest, the Florida High School Athletic Association may officially recognize competitive video gaming, or esports, as a sport.

At a meeting in Gainesville on Monday, the FHSAA board of directors discussed esports. The main topic of discussion was the percentage of Florida schools that would be willing to offer programs if the games were recognized as official sports.

As per NBC Miami report, a survey was distributed by the organization, and 425 schools, or 58% of combined and high schools, responded to it.

According to a document that was part of the board’s agenda, “several other questions were asked to guide future research and decision-making, if necessary, while two questions were about current participation and interest.”

In all, 26.4% of the schools that answered said they sponsored a club or team in esports. Of that total, 24.9% of public schools reported having teams or clubs, compared to 25.2% of private schools and 39.1% of charter schools.

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A sport must be available in at least 20% of schools in two of the four “sections,” or regions, of the state that the FHSAA has designated.

Among the member schools that did not report having programs, there is a strong interest in providing eSports.

If the FHSAA approved the games, more than half of the schools polled (54.6%) said they would be open to providing esports to their students. More than 56% of private schools and 82% of charter schools showed interest in the survey, compared to nearly 50% of public schools.

Schools in Section 4 (which includes South Florida) of the state’s four FHSAA regional sections showed the greatest amount of interest, at 69%.

Among the members who expressed support for esports sanctioning was Trevor Berryhill, the athletic director of Oviedo private school, The Master’s Academy and a board member of the FHSAA.

“We had a student win an esports scholarship to Florida State University last year. “He also belongs to their NIL (name, image, and likeness) collective,” Berryhill remarked, alluding to the fact that collegiate student-athletes can make money through endorsement deals and other business arrangements.

Berryhill continued, “So it’s just another opportunity for kids to be involved in something.”

According to its website, the FSU Esports program is student-run and “provides a foundation for our school’s many competitive gaming teams.”

Additionally, sanctioning organizations around the nation are beginning to recognize esports programs more and more.

According to FHSAA documents, esports has been authorized in 21 states that are members of the National Federation of State High School Associations. The southeastern states of Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana have approved the programs.

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David Norton, the superintendent of Gulf County Schools, supported the idea of esports sanctioning as well. He described the proposal as a “win-win” for the FHSAA and expressed his hope that the board will “move forward on this sooner than later.”

At Monday’s meeting, Norton, who is also a board member, stated, “This would be a way for us to reach us and bring some more student-athletes in.”

Although they stated the organization is in the early stages of the process, FHSAA officials did not specify during Monday’s discussion when a potential decision could be finalized regarding esports sanctioning. The following action would be to ask participating schools to officially petition to add esports programs.