E-sports hobby path project receives a government grant

The hobby path project will launch in August 2025 and continue until 31 July 2026. The project is jointly managed by the Cultural Unit, responsible for implementing the Finnish model for leisure activities in Espoo, and the sports and exercise unit of the City of Espoo. Local sports clubs and esports actors are also involved in the project.

Young people are interested in esports, but there is no framework for making the hobby more goal-oriented. The project responds to this challenge through development and piloting of an esports hobby path that will allow young people to progress further in their hobby. The goal of the project is to create a clear model for combining the esports hobby with sports club activities. The model will allow people to easily turn their low-threshold hobby into a more goal-oriented activity. It will also bring exergaming into esports. By making exergaming and physical training a part of esports, the project aims to support the comprehensive well-being of participants in the hobby.

The project will consist of short piloting periods, in which different types of esports are tested and their impact is assessed. Additional goals include training new esports experts and creating a functional training path that will attract new instructors and coaches to esports activities. One objective of this training path is to make instructors more competent in taking accessibility into account in playing and esports and to identify potential challenges related to this goal.

In addition to the development of new forms of hobbies, the project will also provide information on which types of esports support the well-being of children and young people. The results can be used to create a new operating model and good practices, which will also be shared with other municipalities.