Prodigy Sports, a leading firm for finding executives in the sports industry, has announced the launch of a new practice. The new business area will be dedicated to identifying and placing senior executives in the esports world. Scott Carmichael—Prodigy Sports founder and CEO—is quoted in a press release as saying:

“We have such a wide number of clients in professional sports… teams, management, agencies, technology companies, governing bodies…who have called and asked about a path to growth in esports as they start to get into this relatively new business, so we are pleased to be one of the first firms to devote time, effort and manpower to matching opportunities and personnel in the space.”[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Bringing in experienced professionals who understand sports environments, should allow esports to learn the lessons that can be found in traditional sports without having to make the mistakes first.[/perfectpullquote]

In a climate where esports is changing from day to day thanks to investment from all sides, the industry should follow a parallel path to traditional sports. Carmichael said:

“Any mature business dedicating resources to esports needs to be able to identify and source leadership like they would for any other area of their organization. While esports may be a new and fast-growing business to many, its challenges are not new, and we are looking forward to be able to marry the needs of those entering the field with a deep, diverse and unique database that we are always building.”

There are many talented people already working within esports but it has been clear for some time that more experience is generally required across the board. Esports is young and bringing in experienced professionals who understand sports environments, should allow esports to learn the lessons that can be found in traditional sports without having to make the mistakes first.

With the entry of huge sponsors such as Visa and Audi and the purchasing of esports teams by sports entities and investors like the Philadelphia 76ers or FC Copenhagen, organizations will be looking for the right people to manage those endeavors and Prodigy Sports is set to lead that search.

Companies beginning to focus on business functions in the esports world is common. Recently, Bryce Blum launched ESG Law to provide legal services to esports entities. In the recruitment sector, Norman Broadbent Group’s AGP previously had an associate director—Joe Hills, now headhunter and founder at Looking For Group—for their esports practice but it is unclear whether the firm is continuing to fulfill that function.

Update: Joe Hills reached out to clarify that he has founded Looking For Group and it is launching it’s website shortly. The company has already placed individuals into roles and has more on the way.