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The British Esports Association has today announced that it has joined the Sport and Recreation Alliance, a sports industry body that works to support its members and collaborate with government and policy makers in sports.
It’s a big step forwards for esports, as the Sport and Recreation Alliance works with clients such as the Football Association, The Lawn Tennis Association, British Cycling and UK Athletics.
The British Esports Association is the first dedicated esports member, and a press release has stated that the association has become a member with a view to “get closer to sporting societies and bodies, to show them what esports is and the benefits it offers and to help educate and work with them.”
Ed Vaizey, the Vice Chair of the British Esports Association, said in the canned release: “We’re delighted to have joined the Sport and Recreation Alliance, who do a lot of good work with Government, policy makers and the media.
“As the first esports association to join the Alliance, it shows they are forward-thinking and open to new digital trends. The sport industry has shown keen interest in esports over the past few years and that will no doubt increase.
“We’ve also signed the Alliance’s Mental Health Charter – we feel promoting good mental health in esports is an important part of our mission and are happy to have outlined three pledges. We’ll be looking for ambassadors in this area, so if you’re keen to get involved, let us know.”
While there’s a lot of extra detail here, and this improves esports representation on the national level, the biggest news from the announcement is that they’ll be signing the Mental Health Charter, which is an initiative that was developed by a collaboration between the Professional Players Association and mental health outfit Mind.
The aim of the charter is to help remove stigma surrounding mental health and allow a greater focus on player wellness.
The three primary tenets of the initiative are as follows:
-To promote wellbeing and good mental health within esports, encouraging physical activity and for players to take part in esports in moderation as part of a healthy lifestyle.
-Allow members to send in requests around mental health and to team up with an expert to assist them.
-Recruit ambassadors and champions who are willing to support the Charter including those who have personal experience /close experience of mental health problems and those who can champion the programme.
Great news for UK players, and hopefully great news for the culture of esports in general.
