ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces esports, drawing on its recent history spanning over the previous few decades, to provide the reader with its definition, business/practitioner and competitive hierarchy, as well as its global economic impact. Additionally, the environment of esports operates with many similarities to traditional sport, such as organisations, competitive structures (from recreational to professional), leagues and tournaments, and player training environments. While it is important to draw on knowledges and evidence-based practices used within traditional sports when developing programs and structures in esports, it is necessary to have an understanding of the differences between the two.
