Association
The Esports Association, based in Katowice, is a non-profit organization aimed at popularizing and professionalizing the Polish esports industry.
About
The Esports Association (ESA) is a non-profit organization founded in Katowice, Poland, on August 18, 2016.
ESA was registered in the National Court Register on November 9, 2016. Since then, thanks to the implementation of innovative projects, we’ve gained the position of the largest esports NGO in Poland.
The key activities of the Esports Association are:
- education in the area of electronic sports and related industries (gamedev, IT, new media) by implementing a proprietary curriculum for secondary schools,
- organizing the National Congress of Electronic Sports – one of the most important events of this type in the CEE region,
- running the National Esports Team project, initiated by the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda,
- organizing the Edu Esports League – nationwide esports championships of universities. Competing teams represent top universities of the country.
Managment
The Board is the executive and management body of ESA.
It manages all of the ESA activities between the General Meeting of Members and represents the organization outside.
It is appointed every 4 years and has between 3 to 5 members. The role of the Board includes:
- convening and implementing resolutions of the General Meeting of Members,
- making decisions on strategic cooperation and accession of ESA to organizations unifying entities of similar goals,
- the admission of new members and the deletion and exclusion of existing ones,
- approval of activity plans, budget and organizational scheme of ESA,
MISSION
The aim of the association is professionalization of electronic sports and focus on the development of grassroots initiatives. Moreover our goal is to promote Poland and Polish companies in the international arena. In our activities, members of ESA promote esports as a pretext for comprehensive development of professional competences among young people.
PARTNERS
To realize its goals, ESA cooperates with the government and local administrations, and represents Poland in international structures.
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
Strategic cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in the field of creative sectors is crucial for the development of ESA. Together we aim at comprehensive development of Polish esports industry – education, professionalization and international promotion.
Academic Sports Association - Main Board
ESA takes part in nationwide cooperation with the Academic Sports Association for health prevention and esports education in the student community. The cooperation agreement was signed in March 2019. As of November 2020, the association is a co-organizer of the ERBUD University Esports – EDU competition.
Polish Anti-Doping Agency
Since January 2020, together with the Polish Anti-Doping Agency, ESA fights against doping in esports and organizes educational and preventive events. The e-sports industry has thus opened itself to the implementation of similar legal solutions and anti-doping policies as those of the World Anti-Doping Program.
Polish Olympic Committee
We are an ordinary member of the Polish Olympic Committee, which unites Polish sports associations and other entities related to the promotion of the Olympic movement and the development of Polish sport.
MEMBERSHIP IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
International Esports Federation
At the end of 2018, the Esports Association became the official representative of Poland in the structures of the International Esports Federation. The agreement was signed in the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The organization brings together more than 50 countries and seeks recognition of esports as a full-fledged sport transcending language, racial and cultural barriers by institutions such as the International Olympic Committee and the Global Association of International Sports Federations.
Global Esports Federation
In March 2020, the Esports Association was among the founding organizations of the Global Esports Federation. The organization consists of entities from 54 countries.
European Esports Federation
On February 20-21, 2020, the inaugural meeting of the European Esports Federation was held in Brussels. Representing Poland, the ESA is one of the founding members of the federation.
University Esports Masters
Organized by the ERBUD University Esports Association – EDU has been an integral part of the international structure of the University Esports Masters since March 2018. The annual finals held in one of the UEM member states determine the best academic League of Legends team in Europe – the right to represent Poland at this tournament is granted to the winners of each season of the national competition.
