Can video games help in school? These players got college scholarships

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1 Can video games help in school? These players got college scholarships By Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 540 Robert Morris University Illinois students Sondra Burrows, 21, (left) and Alex Chapman, 20, play "League of Legends" during a practice of the school's esports program. The school spent $100,000 turning a computer lab into an esports Arena with fast processing computers, large monitors, high-end ergonomic gaming chairs and a strict no-food-or-drink policy. Andrew Rush/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS CHICAGO Derek Micheau loves sports. He dreamed of being a baseball player. Then, in his third year of high school, he got hurt. He had to give up his dream. In the end, he was still able to play sports in college. In fact, he received a scholarship from Robert Morris University Illinois. A scholarship is something that helps students pay for their education. Sports scholarships are sometimes given to talented athletes. Micheau doesn't play football, basketball or tennis, however. He plays video games. Robert Morris is the first U.S. university to offer scholarships for video-game players. Thirtyfive gamers were given scholarships this fall. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 1

2 Worth Thousands Of Dollars My mom thought it was a scam, said Michaeu, a 20-year-old freshman from Olympia, Washington. His mother thought the school might be lying to get more students and make more money from tuition. But it's not a scam. Each student at Robert Morris normally pays more than $30,000 a year for classes and housing. Micheau's scholarship pays for half of that. His talent as a gamer saved him thousands of dollars. Robert Morris has many sports teams. These teams play against other college teams. To help their teams win, schools often look for talented players. Scholarships are one of the ways that schools attract these players. Why do colleges spend money to attract athletes? One reason is that college sports teams can give a school a sense of pride. When a school's team wins, it gives the school's community something to celebrate. Spending Money On esports Sports scholarships are not new. Scholarships for video games are. Robert Morris' scholarships are part of its new electronic sports program, also known as its "esports program." Robert Morris has spent a lot of money on the program. The school built a new esports center. The center cost $100,000. It has high-tech computers and fancy gaming chairs. College gamers play League of Legends. It is a team game. Two teams play against each other. Each team tries to knock down the other team's tower. The first team to knock down the other team's tower wins. Robert Morris' "League of Legends" team is like any other college sports team. Players wear official sweatshirts and jackets. They learn from five coaches. Its two teams are undefeated. They have never lost. "Taking It Seriously" We re definitely taking it seriously." said Kurt Melcher, who works in the athletics department. "We want them to do well," he added. It was Melcher's idea to offer scholarships to gamers. These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of national attention. They have been discussed on several news programs. The popularity of esports is on the rise. For example, thousands of people buy tickets to watch "League of Legends" matches. The 2014 finals drew more than 40,000 fans to watch the games live. Millions of other people watched online. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 2

3 Will other schools start offering esports scholarships as well? Maybe. Gaming is so popular that esports scholarships may become common. Nancy Donohoe works at Robert Morris. She says that the scholarships are "kind of cool." She pointed out that video-game players do not usually get a lot of attention. Scholarships could change this. Someday, gamers might be just as popular as basketball and football players. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 3

4 Quiz 1 Select the paragraph from the section "Spending Money On esports" that BEST shows Robert Morris University is serious about esports. 2 Which paragraph from the section "Worth Thousands Of Dollars" explains the biggest advantage of being an esports athlete for Michaeu? My mom thought it was a scam, said Michaeu, a 20-year-old freshman from Olympia, Washington. His mother thought the school might be lying to get more students and make more money from tuition. But it's not a scam. Each student at Robert Morris normally pays more than $30,000 a year for classes and housing. Micheau's scholarship pays for half of that. His talent as a gamer saved him thousands of dollars. Why do colleges spend money to attract athletes? One reason is that college sports teams can give a school a sense of pride. When a school's team wins, it gives the school's community something to celebrate. Robert Morris has many sports teams. These teams play against other college teams. To help their teams win, schools often look for talented players. Scholarships are one of the ways that schools attract these players. 3 Read the sentence from the article. These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of national attention. Which answer option has the same meaning? These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of public attention. These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of local attention. These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of attention countrywide. These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of attention worldwide. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 4

5 4 Read the sentence from the introduction. Sports scholarships are sometimes given to talented athletes. Which selection from the introduction gives a hint to the most common meaning of the term "athletes"? he had to give up his dream offer scholarships for video game players he received a scholarship play football, basketball or tennis This article is available at 5 reading levels at 5

6 Answer Key 1 Select the paragraph from the section "Spending Money On esports" that BEST shows Robert Morris University is serious about esports. Paragraph 10: Robert Morris has spent a lot of money on the program. The school built a new esports center. The center cost $100,000. It has high-tech computers and fancy gaming chairs. 2 Which paragraph from the section "Worth Thousands Of Dollars" explains the biggest advantage of being an esports athlete for Michaeu? My mom thought it was a scam, said Michaeu, a 20-year-old freshman from Olympia, Washington. His mother thought the school might be lying to get more students and make more money from tuition. But it's not a scam. Each student at Robert Morris normally pays more than $30,000 a year for classes and housing. Micheau's scholarship pays for half of that. His talent as a gamer saved him thousands of dollars. Why do colleges spend money to attract athletes? One reason is that college sports teams can give a school a sense of pride. When a school's team wins, it gives the school's community something to celebrate. Robert Morris has many sports teams. These teams play against other college teams. To help their teams win, schools often look for talented players. Scholarships are one of the ways that schools attract these players. 3 Read the sentence from the article. These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of national attention. Which answer option has the same meaning? These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of public attention. These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of local attention. These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of attention countrywide. These scholarships have gotten Robert Morris a lot of attention worldwide. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 6

7 4 Read the sentence from the introduction. Sports scholarships are sometimes given to talented athletes. Which selection from the introduction gives a hint to the most common meaning of the term "athletes"? he had to give up his dream offer scholarships for video game players he received a scholarship play football, basketball or tennis This article is available at 5 reading levels at 7