I've noticed there is a sort of commotion about professional gamers going on lately. I just wanted to touch on the subject a little and hear what you guys and girls think.
MLG Official Site
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Professional gamers, in the past, have gotten a lot of flack. Even today they don't always have the best of reputations in certain peoples views.
---->Media Learning of E-Sports<-----
In the link here the Youtube channel "Tramah" published a video concerning this very issue and highlights nice clips on the subject.
So where do the professional gamers belong?
I don't claim to have the answer, but lets just define "athlete" real quick for better understanding.
Merriam Webster Dictionary Definition
Definition of athlete :
- a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina
If we base an athlete off the three character traits given here we may come up with a better perspective. Although there is one thing that strikes me strange on this definition. The word physical comes before the three traits. So, are we thinking of physical strength, physical agility, and physical stamina? I'm not so sure...
Maybe our society has defined athletes in the wrong manner?
I am actually not opposed to removing the word physical from that definition. Being a professional athlete in most sports requires a keen and strategic state of mentality. A great mind can take you really far even without a great body. The most common sports ( baseball, football, soccer, etc.) require both a sound mind and a well performing body.
Yeah sure there are far more professional gamers who aren't fit and make it to the top tier than in other sports. We should consider though, when your body is in ample shape, that blood flows more freely and your mind works better as a result.