How to Get into Esports

By Dr. Brittany Jacobs  |  03/19/2026

Esports is a relatively new industry, and the opportunities for careers in this field are continually evolving. According to Statista, “Esports worldwide is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by increased viewership, sponsorship opportunities, and the rising popularity of competitive gaming among diverse demographics.

As esports leagues and esports teams continue to professionalize, there are increased opportunities for pro gamers, but also those at all levels of play. To support the expansion of the esports sector, formalized careers in the larger gaming community continue to expand in both quantity and breadth.

This growth creates numerous new career opportunities every year. According to Statista, the largest submarket is esports betting, a career field that was unheard of only a decade ago.

Potential Career Paths in Esports

The career paths in this industry are typically divided into four areas:

• Youth and recreational gaming
• Collegiate gaming
• Professional gaming
• Game development

Each of these sectors provides an opportunity for specialization based on professional interest. For example, someone interested in marketing might serve as a content creator in the collegiate space. Similarly, an individual interested in finance might oversee financial operations for a professional esports team.

But how do you go from being interested in esports to securing a career in this industry?

Getting into the Esports Scene

Most people who want to work in esports, either as an administrator or professional gamer, love gaming. They have honed their skills through years of practice and have gained valuable experience through online tournaments.

Many gamers start playing video games when they are young and join online communities. Some people move into competitive gaming, becoming pro players, while others are content to build camaraderie through their gaming communities.

While one in three players aspires to go pro, only a small fraction of esports players are able to have a professional career in gaming. But, the good news is that this field offers numerous job opportunities beyond gaming itself, including roles in:

• Management
• Coaching
• Content creation

So how does one find opportunities in this world beyond becoming a professional player and competing for prize money?

Basic Steps to Get into Esports

The most important piece in pursuing a career in this industry is to get involved. This involvement can take shape in many ways, but your best bet is to do three things:

• Build foundational knowledge
• Volunteer for competitions and event organizers
• Work with team managers or as a coach
• Network

Building Foundational Knowledge of Esports

Experience in playing video games is not required for a career path in this field, but it certainly helps develop your understanding of the gaming industry. Gaming provides a foundational understanding of popular games and the competitive scene amongst top esports teams.

You don’t have to be an expert in playing any particular game. In fact, experience in more than one game can be valuable.

You can build your foundational knowledge by first playing on a team. There are both recreational and competitive programs available through community centers or local middle and high schools. Many high schools now have varsity-level programs that allow you to hone your gaming skills and enhance your play during tournaments.

In addition to playing, learning about the governance of esports can help build your foundational knowledge. You can learn about specific esports organizations through the National Federation of State High School Associations.

At the collegiate level, the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) reports that over 300 universities now offer esports programs. Many of these educational institutions offer scholarships, varsity teams, and dedicated facilities for student athletes.

Pursuing a career in esports requires a blend of specialized hard skills (like the technical knowledge of specific titles or an understanding of governance structures) and universal soft skills. Participating in competitions or student organizations can enhance numerous soft skills that can be helpful in a future career. For instance, teamwork and emotional intelligence are two transferable skills that can be useful in almost any field.

Volunteering for Esports Competitions and Event Organizers

Volunteering for competitions tests your skills, helps you gain experience, and provides you with hands-on opportunities. Volunteer roles in esports include stepping-stone positions such as:

• Content moderator
• Tournament administrator
• Shoutcaster

Event organizers play a crucial role in the esports ecosystem by planning and managing tournaments. These professionals are often looking for aspiring professionals to help them in the management of esports tournaments, leagues, and local events.

Serving as event staff is a great way to explore various aspects of the sport and gain professional experience. Often, these roles are short-term, so they are easily accessible to full-time students or full-time workers.

Volunteering with Team Managers of Esports Teams

Teams with professional gamers require managers to handle business operations, scheduling, sponsorships, and player well-being. These disparate roles can lead to competing priorities, and a volunteer can be integral in supporting a professional team’s success.

A volunteer working with a team manager might:

• Update content on a YouTube® channel
• Help athletes facilitate time management between tournaments, practices, and sponsorship deals
• Oversee streaming channels

A volunteer role with a team’s management can often be completed online, though it may be more long-term than an events-based role. Sometimes, these volunteer roles can also be formalized as internships or externships through an academic degree program.

Volunteer Coaching in Esports

Youth or high school teams are often looking for coaching support related to specific games. With a volunteer coach who has expertise in a specific title, like Call of Duty®, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive®, or League of Legends®, a team may be able to compete in more games like fighting games, expanding the offerings of their esports program.

With more titles available, additional players can join the team and compete in the program's Local Area Network (LAN) tournaments. As a volunteer coach, you might:

• Manage practices
• Help young talent develop their hard and soft skills
• Handle roster changes
• Schedule practices and tournaments
• Analyze play and develop strategy

In their role as analysts, coaches are essential to player improvement and strategy development implemented when they practice or compete. In doing so, this role will help open doors for young athletes who can gain recognition and possibly go on to play at the collegiate or professional level. It will teach students the soft skills that will be applicable in their future. Typically, this type of volunteering requires commitment for a full season and may be in-person, based on the competition schedule of the team.

Networking and Finding Opportunities in Esports

Being proactive in your outreach will help you find many volunteer opportunities. To start, join Discord®, Facebook®, Twitter® and LinkedIn® groups that focus on events, team management, or coaching. These types of groups will often post or re-post volunteer opportunities.

Also, don’t hesitate to reach out directly to esports teams, coaches, or event organizers. Their email addresses can often be found on team webpages or you can connect via LinkedIn.

When you reach out, introduce yourself and share a clear description as to how you can help. Often, esports professionals will create volunteer roles for the right person, even if they don’t have an opportunity that is formally posted.

You probably already have a network consisting of players on your teams, other players from competitor teams, coaches, or mentors. Each of these people becomes a potential connector to a volunteer opportunity.

For instance, they may know of other coaches who need assistance or upcoming tournaments that need staff. But to connect you, they must know you are interested in volunteer roles, so be sure to have those conversations with the people in your network!

Networking is crucial for anyone serious about joining an organization or seeking more advanced job opportunities in this field. Building your network can further enhance your career opportunities.

A network can be built virtually or in-person. For instance, join Discord servers and participate in those games. Networking through sites like Discord and Twitter and volunteering can help you build a professional online brand.

If you are playing in a tournament, don’t just compete and leave. Instead, meet the people around you.

Other teams and other players are a great place to start building your network. Each of those players is connected to various teams, coaches, and events that can potentially expand your reach in the esport world.

Building a Potential Career in Esports

Breaking into this industry requires proactivity and dedication. Whether you aspire to work with amateur leagues or a professional team in the future, activities such as playing, volunteering, and networking can all help you find success. In addition, a positive attitude and a well-developed brand can help set you apart from other people pursuing similar career paths.

Oftentimes, the beginnings of a career require long hours and consistent commitment. It can take time to develop your footing amongst esports teams and their athletes.

A positive attitude will allow you to see all of the hard work as an opportunity to join top teams and enhance opportunities within your chosen game. In addition, building an effective personal brand can help position you for creative roles.

Building this brand can include:

• Creating your personal brand story
• Formalizing your social media presence
• Showing samples of your work
• Developing tangible assets

Having a clear picture of your goals in the esports industry alongside the skills that you can bring to professional gamers or online tournaments will help position you for success in the job hunt.

The Bachelor of Science in Esports at AMU

If you’re interested in developing your knowledge of esports, American Military University (AMU) provides an online Bachelor of Science in Esports. For this degree program, students can enroll in courses that cover esports events and facility management, esports media and production, and the business of esports. Other courses include contemporary issues in esports, policy regulations and the esports ecosystem, and an externship in esports.

This degree offers two concentrations to enable students to tailor their education according to their interests:

• Esports business administration
• Esports coaching and athlete development

Also, this bachelor’s degree has earned specialty accreditation from the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA®). This accreditation ensures that the program has been checked by professional examiners and conforms to high standards.

For more information about BB.A. in esports, visit AMU’s health sciences degree program page.

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Call of Duty is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a registered trademark of the Valve Corporation.
League of Legends is a registered trademark of Riot Games, Inc.
Discord is a registered trademark of Discord, Inc.
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Twitter is a registered trademark of the X Corporation.
LinkedIn is a registered trademark of the LinkedIn Corporation.
COSMA is a registered trademark of the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation.