As competitive gaming explodes in popularity, Southern Cross University experts are urging parents to rethink their role: not as gatekeepers, but as active supporters and co-coaches in their children's digital performance journeys.
Unlike traditional sports, where young athletes are supported by coaches, trainers, and structured programs, most young esports players are training alone, often for more than 10 hours a day, without adult guidance or oversight.
"Right now, many young players in esports are pushing through intense practice without guidance, rest, or knowledge of what really makes them better – and that is a problem for their health and performance," says Dr Kyle Bennett, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science.
"We want to reframe how parents see esports. With the right support, it can be a positive and rewarding pursuit that builds life skills.
"But without structure and intentionality, we risk exposing kids to physical inactivity, sleep disruption, and social isolation."
While esports are often associated with elite professionals, many players are young people competing in ranked or organised matches from home. These players are just as immersed in performance culture, often modelling themselves on global pros, but they typically do so without access to coaching, structured routines, or wellbeing support.
"What works in a team house or performance facility doesn't translate to a teenager training alone in their bedroom," says Dr Bennett.
"We're seeing young players burnout by copying behaviours that don't improve long term performance."
To reframe the way performance is pursued in esports, Southern Cross University is championing a new model: Performance through Health.
This approach positions wellbeing as the foundation for high performance, not a barrier to it. It draws on lessons from elite sport, where health and success are no longer treated as mutually exclusive.
The model encourages:
- Smarter, more focused training
- Regular breaks and physical activity
- Sleep hygiene and mental recovery
- Positive social connection.
Dr Bennett and his team are now calling on the wider esports' ecosystem – including parents, educators, coaches, health professionals and game publishers – to work together in building a more sustainable future for young players.
"It took traditional sports more than a century to realise you can't trade health for medals," said Dr Bennett.
"Esports has a chance to learn that lesson early and build a better system from the start."
Southern Cross University is launching a co-design alliance in the Oceania region to help develop solutions that reflect the needs and realities of players, families, and industry stakeholders alike.
"We aren't here to impose solutions on esports; we want to work with the community so young players can truly thrive," says Dr Bennett.
The research led by Dr Bennett has been published in Psychology of Sport & Exercise and it is free to access.
