Regular Session 2023-2024 Senate Resolution 0202 P.N. 1207

PRINTER'S NO. 1207

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

No.

202

Session of

2023

INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA AND FONTANA, NOVEMBER 6, 2023

REFERRED TO RULES AND EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS, NOVEMBER 6, 2023

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association

as the official Scholastic Esports State Championship of the

Commonwealth; and designating the month of October 2023 as

"Scholastic Esports Month" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, Esports, or competitive video gaming, is the fastest

growing spectator sport in the world, with an estimated global

audience of nearly 650 million people by the end of 2025; and

WHEREAS, The growth of esports over the last several years

has been significant, with global revenues valued at $1.44

billion as of 2023, and is set to reach $5.48 billion by the

year 2029; and

WHEREAS, Estimates show that 40% of the global esports

viewership will come from the United States, highlighting the

rapid growth of the industry's popularity in this country; and

WHEREAS, According to the Pennsylvania Esports Coalition (PA

ESC), esports already provides significant opportunities for

economic growth in this Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, The PA ESC reports that across this Commonwealth,

esports is connecting the remarkable economic benefits of this

global sport to Pennsylvania's economic future through

successful professional franchises and athletes, technological

innovation and development and emerging esports programs at the

collegiate and high school levels; and

WHEREAS, According to the National Association of Collegiate

Esports (NACE), there are more than 700 NACE member schools in

the country, with more than 13,000 student-athletes; and

WHEREAS, In 2018-2019, NACE schools offered nearly $16

million in esports scholarships and aid to esports student-

athletes; and

WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth there is a growing number of

institutions of higher education with esports programs that are

recognized by NACE and other conferences and leagues, and

several more college esports teams and clubs participating in

leagues and tournaments across the country; and

WHEREAS, Several colleges and universities throughout this

Commonwealth are integrating esports into degree programs or

creating and establishing stand-alone esports degree programs to

meet the growing need for skilled workers within the industry;

and

WHEREAS, With access to scholarships and other financial

incentives offered by colleges and universities to compete in

esports at the collegiate level and to participate in esports

degree programs, high schools are beginning to establish esports

programs all across this Commonwealth, offering opportunities to

expand science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)

education and boost student involvement in school communities;

and

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association

(PIEA), one of the first and only governing bodies in the

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country solely focused on scholastic esports regulations and

standards, provides safe, regulated and structured competitions

for high schools throughout this Commonwealth and has seen

tremendous growth in the popularity of scholastic esports

programs across the State; and

WHEREAS, In its first season, during the 2018-2019 academic

year, the PIEA had 30 teams from 17 high schools in this

Commonwealth compete in its championship event, but during the

2022-2023 academic year, the PIEA had more than 400 teams from

over 150 schools and more than 2,000 students compete in its

esports competitions; and

WHEREAS, The PIEA has been successful in expanding the number

of high schools and middle schools with esports clubs and

programs because significant research has found that regulated,

structured scholastic esports programs provide positive outcomes

for students; and

WHEREAS, According to research conducted by the University of

California Irvine (UCI) and the Connected Learning Lab (CLL),

students who participate in structured esports programs tend to

have higher mathematics achievement, accelerated language

learning and technology fluency, as well as improved digital and

print literacy; and

WHEREAS, Researchers at UCI and CLL also found that students

who participated in scholastic esports programs had significant

growth in social skills and mental health, including skills

related to mentorship, teamwork, communication and leadership;

and

WHEREAS, Studies by UCI and CLL found that students

themselves said they placed a greater focus on their own social

and mental health, including realizations of perseverance,

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critical thinking, sense of belonging, school engagement and

spirit and working harder on academic success; and

WHEREAS, Scholastic esports also has a significant impact on

workforce development for the Commonwealth, as subsequent

studies by UCI and CLL show that students who participate in

esports programs and competitions exhibit skills that connect to

STEM-related entrepreneurship and high-tech sector jobs not only

in the gaming industry but also in data science, software and

web development, social media marketing and event organizing;

and

WHEREAS, The commitment to esports at the collegiate and high

school levels is evidence that the esports phenomenon is not

simply a trend but has the potential to provide the same

sustainable economic growth as traditional sports programs; and

WHEREAS, Supporting the PIEA in its efforts to organize and

develop a Statewide esports organization that provides a safe,

regulated and structured competitive program is beneficial to

this Commonwealth and its students; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the Pennsylvania

Interscholastic Esports Association as the official Scholastic

Esports State Championship of the Commonwealth; and be it

further

RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of October 2023

as "Scholastic Esports Month" in Pennsylvania; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the potential of esports

and the importance of this growing industry to this

Commonwealth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Senate urge educators, businesspeople,

legislators and other individuals in this Commonwealth to work

together to increase awareness of the value of scholastic

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esports, which will serve to provide opportunities for students

across this Commonwealth, build a workforce of qualified

individuals for high-tech and high-wage jobs, maintain our

commitment as innovators and stimulate the economy through

emerging technologies.

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