As a passionate member of the local esports team, I face a frustrating situation: our school district denies us the opportunity to play shooter games. My favorite game, which happens to feature gunplay, recently had the chance to become part of our gaming selection. However, the presence of guns led to its dismissal. This decision seems questionable considering physical sports like football, which inherently involve violent contact, are not only allowed but also celebrated.

Esports is a rapidly growing industry. It reached 1.38 billion U.S. dollars in revenue by 2022 and surpassed 4.8 billion by 2025 (source: Statista). Shooter games, in particular, dominate the esports scene, strengthening critical thinking, strategic planning, and teamwork abilities (source: Psychology Today). By restricting our access to these games, the district is limiting our potential to excel in an area that is becoming more and more critical in the modern world.

Moreover, there is no compelling evidence to suggest that participating in shooter games promotes violence in real life (source: Oxford University). This being the case, it does not make sense to hinder our esports team from playing and competing in the full range of video games.

Therefore, we urge the district to reconsider their stance and allow esports teams to play shooter games. This move will not only provide greater equality to our district's sports offerings, but it will also allow esports team like ours to compete more broadly and effectively. Please sign this petition to support the growth and diversification of esports in our district.