Friend's son wants to give up on college to become a "pro gamer;" what would you do?

[Sybil]

Well, it really depends on how good he already is. Most lol pros debut at his age (I think most even younger) and if he isn't already at the "pretty darn good" level I'd say it might be a little too late to get started.

Anyway yeah if his mother enables it then there's little you can do

 

[GodofWine]

Honestly...let him. Let him try. The chance he'll succeed are slim to none (as any 'sport' is). The chance he'll realize he isn't in the top .001% and recant is very real. Being more mature when you go to college can help. Maybe this experience will drive him to a major he is more interested in somehow. Maybe a kid taking 2 years off before college and pursuing something / finding something is better for him than "Oh hey I'll just be a marketing major because Im 18 and I have no idea what to do". He doesn't sound ready to leave home to study. Going to school in 2 years would be way better than going now and failing out / getting jaded

BUT, he has to get accepted to a school - and then he can defer for 2 years, BUT HE HAS TO GET ACCEPTED. School needs to be in the pipeline, and a known possible end game.

 

[Siyou]

He should do both. I think if he's got what it takes, he could do both.

 

[Squarehard]

You could always have him go the community college route, and take the SAT out of the whole equation, so that's one less thing off the table for him to have to deal with.

And make a deal with him to split his time between games, while also taking some classes there at the same time, but just a couple per semester to slowly see if he may even have interest in college courses, and eventually move into some other related field related to his interests.

If anything, it'll give him a light dose of the academics, without as much of the strain of a regular college, so he will still be working towards something else on the side.

 

[Metallix87]

let him do what he wants

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Bingo. If he succeeds, either competitively or via Twitch, good on him. If he fails, hopefully he learns from it and goes in another direction.

 

[Xiaomi]

Considering he just moved there that is understandable, but she shouldn't be supporting his gaming habit if he also doesn't make any effort to bring in income. As i said though, it isn't really anyone's place but her own to deal with this.

Click to shrink...

Yeah that's true. I've talked to her about gaming addiction and the difficulty of escaping it; I've seen it in my school classroom quite a bit but the difference is that while I can control my classroom, I can't do anything about what happens in students' homes. Talking to her might be all I can do for now.

 

[LanceX2]

Stay out of it and let him do what he wants. You ain't his daddy.

He'll figure things out. A lot of kids take a gap year after HS anyway. It's his life.

Click to shrink...

My niece took a gap year.

Now shes decided to noyngonto college.

She never has had a job and doesnt leave her moms house.

Also shr had a free ride 4 year to a commujity college and blew that too.

Sometimes gap years arent good

 

[facepalm007]

If he believes he's the shit then make him prove it. Enter in a local tournament and if he doesn't win, or at the very least, get in the money, then he's not worth his spit.

 

[Mesoian]

This is easy.

Tell him to go a local major, if he wins, he can drop out.

He's not winning his first time out. I don't care what the game is.

What he needs is get humbled by people who are there for money, not pride.

 

[Ricelord]

whynotboth.gif

 

[Metallix87]

This is easy.

Tell him to go a local major, if he wins, he can drop out.

He's not winning his first time out. I don't care what the game is.

What he needs is get humbled by people who are there for money, not pride.

Click to shrink...

Not everyone makes a living being among the best.

 

[Servbot24]

My friend says he screams at her whenever she tries to get him off of the computer.

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She should take the computer away, he doesn't deserve it. Sounds like a delusional brat.

 

[Euphoria]

As someone else suggested you should find a way to set him up against some ERA LOL gamers.

• If he beats them tell him they weren't pro and he has a lot of improving to do.
• If they beat him tell him they weren't pro so he just won't be good enough to go pro and should go to school instead.

Hopefully for his mother's sake scenario #2 happens.




Edit -

I also managed to forget how he screams at her when she tries to get him off the computer.

She pays to bring him to her home. Pays for the roof over his head, the food he eats and the electricity required for his addiction.

Depending on the time of the day she should go to the fuse box and shut that entire room off. Tell him it stay on but it costs money.

 

[Becks']

If he plays League, tell him that there is Scouting Grounds every year organized by Riot Games in North America if he is a Challenger.

https://liquipedia.net/leagueoflegends/Scouting_Grounds/2018/NA

If he isn't Challenger then unfortunately his dream is impossible.

 

[Patapuf]

Not everyone makes a living being among the best.

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in E-sports? Only the best make a living. Even there, only the best of the best earn enough to be "pro" aka, not needing a second job.

 

[Pet]

Yell "bai chi," smack him on the head, and tell him his SAT scores are disgraceful.

I mean I don't know... if he were my son I'd just say straight up no, no support from me if you do this, you're on your own. If the kid wants to be a pro-gamer enough to be homeless, then whatever. I raised an idiot.

 

[LosDaddie]

As a father, my first questions would be; How do you plan on bringing in money? How are you going to support your career until you get sponsored?

The last thing my kids will do after HS is loaf around my house and not expect to contribute.

 

[Mesoian]

Not everyone makes a living being among the best.

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They do if they're looking to go pro. That's literally the definition of going pro.

Mind you, the kid we're describing isn't say that he wants to work for Riot, or he wants to dabble in the behind the scenes of esports, or he's interested in becoming a TO or an event planner, he's saying he wants to go pro, which is literally being the best of the best.

And if you can do it, great. But something tells me these dreams will live and die at his first real tournament because people who do decide to make their living by being pros will not sit around and pull punches because kids have dreams.

 

[EloKa]

If he belongs to the best 1% of the playerbase: he should forget it immediately. If he's a part of the best 0,000001% … sure, give it a try?

 

[BocoDragon]

Kick him out of home and tell him to get a job to feed and put a roof over himself.

If he can do that through gaming, more power to him.

 

[lmcfigs]

At 19, if he's not already making some money doing this, it's probably not a good idea to go all-in. But yeah it's really not your place to give advice, unless you know your friend wants you to do it.

 

[SlickShoesRUCRazy]

Some schools have e-sports teams and he could get a scholarship for it.

 

[StrayDog]

Ask him his business plan

 

[Bradford]

A huge amount of eSports pros go to college and maintain jobs until they get steady income streaming and winning tournaments. Sticking with things like this shows that you have the drive and management skills to dedicate to getting better and grinding through things.

If they are bailing on college because it seems like unfun work and they want to pursue gaming because it's fun and they have natural talent, they will not get anywhere, and will eventually burn out. Being a professional competitive gamer IS a full time job, and it requires perhaps more dedication than most career paths at the start due to how little money comes out of it and how much it turns a fun hobby into work.

I would suggest that the friend discuss with their child the reality of this plan and what would be expected, and what would be required, to even remotely crack into the competitive floor, let alone with and make a living off of it.

 

[Conal]

Has he thought about shitting on feminists and minorities on his streams?

 

[Woetyler]

Tell him he's stupid if he throws away his source of income that will fuel his "streamer life" to an eventual career that can sustain itself. Especially LoL streams, that category is so saturated that you'd have to already be a hit star to become a full time streamer.

 

[PrimeBeef]

If my daughter wanted to do I would let her know as long as she can get her own place and pay her own bills then she would have my support. If not, then she better accept the free room and board and father subsidized college tuition.

 

[SugarNoodles]

What does he actually know about the logistics of making money off of esports? Has he done his research?

If he has then he should be capable of understanding some sort of pathway and it wouldn't be unreasonable to give him a 6 month time frame for him to get on track, and for him to understand that if he fails to do so he needs to figure out something else.

I don't think that there's any rush to continue his education. Getting some perspective isn't a bad thing, and as long as he doesn't just think that esports is about playing video games for fun all day, he might gain something out of a stint in "professional" gaming.

 

[Mesoian]

Has he thought about shitting on feminists and minorities on his streams?

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Unfortunately there's likely more money in that than actually going pro in esports.

 

[kmfdmpig]

He sounds dumb and lazy. It sounds harsh, but letting him crash and burn, at an age in which the stakes are lower, might be the best way for him to learn and become a responsible and independent adult.

 

[TinfoilHatsROn]

Are you serious? "I'll resent you if you don't let me do this?" Is he mentally or emotionally stunted? What kinda HS acts like that?

Kick his ass out, he'll learn real quick that he ain't shit. Unless he's already high Masters and even then.

 

[Biggersmaller]

This is no different than making a living playing music, hitting a golf ball, or writing novels. If one of my sons told me they were dropping out of school to pursue these ambitions, the time for a crushing reality check has arrived.

You must be blunt regarding their skill level. Even if amazing, be blunt regarding their real chances. Explain everyone needs to make their own money eventually and they cannot live at home unless they are in school or paying rent.

 

[Metallix87]

in E-sports? Only the best make a living. Even there, only the best of the best earn enough to be "pro" aka, not needing a second job.

Click to shrink...

They do if they're looking to go pro. That's literally the definition of going pro.

Mind you, the kid we're describing isn't say that he wants to work for Riot, or he wants to dabble in the behind the scenes of esports, or he's interested in becoming a TO or an event planner, he's saying he wants to go pro, which is literally being the best of the best.

And if you can do it, great. But something tells me these dreams will live and die at his first real tournament because people who do decide to make their living by being pros will not sit around and pull punches because kids have dreams.

Click to shrink...

Both of you are misunderstanding what "going pro" means. Jeff Hoogland is a professional Magic streamer, with sponsors and funding. He makes his living streaming. He is not anywhere near the top in terms of players.

Sometimes, to be a successful player, and more realistically a successful streamer, it is about more than just being the best.

 

[LunaSerena]

I'd suggest the mother that while she doesn't kick him out, she cuts all other support to him.

Don't wash his clothes, don't cook for him, don't give him money for anything, and don't give him free internet.
If he throws a tantrum, tell her to open the door and tell him that "her house, her rules". If he doesn't do it he can leave.
When he's faced with the alternative of being homeless he'll probably start using his brain, a bit.

That usually put a sock in all of my brother's stupidity when he wanted to be a musician. We encouraged it as a hobby but we knew that he wouldn't amount to nothing in a career.

 

[PandaShake]

Weren't there a few popular lol players who were also in school? Something something even his classmates and family call him X. Maybe say she'll support him as long as he can keep his grades. Otherwise, he's simply lazy and addicted. If he's adamant about not going to college, at least get a day job and 'practice' at night.

 

[Alucrid]

Pro e-sports players tend to retire even sooner than ones doing physical sports, i heard.

Like, 28/29 years old more or less, since people lost a lot of the hand-eye coordination needed to be good at most e-sports by then, and that's why a lot of people begins their career with 15/16 yo. Of course it doesn't apply to stuff like Hearthstone.

Click to shrink...

it's more of a lifestyle burn out or the fact that games tend to have a more limited lifespan than any physical or mental deterioration due to age (injuries aside). look at fighting games and how many old ass pros there are there.

 

[Dogui]

I know a lot about the poker scene. People can still lose a step in games of logic such as hearthstone. As you brain ages into the mid 20s it starts to begin slowing. The synapses start firing slower. It varies by person of course. So in those decisions where you have under a minute to decide you may not come to the optimal conclusion.

As for this kid, if he isn't there now in any game he won't make it. People with the ability to go pro in any game have inate sense for games. They are able to transition to other games and be at a high level relatively quick.

Click to shrink...

I meant the hand-eye coordination part.

Never followed Poker or card games scene. There's oldass Chess and Go players tho, but the way stuff works in these games are also different.

it's more of a lifestyle burn out or the fact that games tend to have a more limited lifespan than any physical or mental deterioration due to age (injuries aside). look at fighting games and how many old ass pros there are there.

Click to shrink...

These "retiring at 28-29" thing must be specific for LoL or Mobas, then. It's something that happens often in the Asian leagues i guess, tho i'm pretty out of touch with the scene.

 

[SoundLad]

Predicting that it will go down something like this

 

[Jombie]

"Pro gamer" on a resume won't impress many employers.

 

[Penny Royal]

He's 19?

Let him make his own stupid choices.

 

[Daitokuji]

Let him do it. He will probably fail and he can go to uni after that. Delaying graduation by 1 year is no big deal.

 

[Mobu]

I mean, suddenly wanting to be an esports pro at 19 is a stupid idea but i dont think he should be forced into college if he doesnt want to

 

[skipgo]

I'd have a talk with them, talk about the pros and cons, without casting judgment or opinions on them.
And let them know they can make their own choice, and i'd have their back no matter what.

 

[EMT0]

If he doesn't have the performance to back up his bark yet at 19, he's not going to be doing much

 

[Hokey]

Change wifi password

 

[NippleViking]

If he's truly determined to become a pro-gamer, I'd bargain with him. If he completes his STAT and scores favorably, he can have a gap year to try - PROVIDED he also picks up some casual part-time employment (even 5 hours a week would do).

Many many people go to college/University before they have the maturity and life experience to decide where they want to end up. I strongly believe that students shouldn't be forced into tertiary education until they have a better appreciation for working life, and how difficult it is to make one's way in the world today. At 18, so many still have an exceptionally inflated ego that produces totally unrealistic dreams. This gaming ambition of his is almost assuredly a symptom of that. Funneling these sorts straight into tertiary education, wherein they will accumulate debt and very likely chop and change courses, is just about the worst choice one can make.

Source: speaking from experience. I started in Arts at 18, aspiring to become a famous author. Hated that. Transferred to a Bachelor of Agricultural Science - a degree and field I never would have imagined myself in at 18 - at 19 which I have recently completed at 22. Was accepted into Veterinary Medicine for this year, and have since decided I'm going to go back to University for another year to hopefully bridge into Medicine or Dentistry. Its taken me 4 years of post-secondary education, and casual employment to work out what I really want in life.

 

[Dankir]

Let him do what he wants, but make it clear he needs to have a backup if this doesn't work out.

 

[Manmademan]

He's a gaming/computer addict and is attempting to come up with a gaming-related "career" to justify not going to school. If he has never participated in an esports team or competition by 19, he's not going to suddenly get picked up now. It'd be a different story if he were already playing semi-pro and wanted to take it to the next level.

Click to shrink...

This sounds right

 

[Chopchop]

He's a gaming/computer addict and is attempting to come up with a gaming-related "career" to justify not going to school. If he has never participated in an esports team or competition by 19, he's not going to suddenly get picked up now. It'd be a different story if he were already playing semi-pro and wanted to take it to the next level.

Click to shrink...

This is my opinion about it too.

But if you consider that he's serious about it, then my advice is to not go all in on it. Even actual progamers have a backup plan with college applications and the like. The vast majority of people who play games for a living do not make a liveable wage from it, and you do need a backup career in case your gaming thing does not work out for any reason. Being good at a game - even extremely good - does not mean you can make a living playing it. And that's not even taking into account the possibility of not finding a good team, breaking from the stress, and so on.

There's an interesting documentary about a Thai Overwatch progamer named Mickie (currently plays for Dallas in Overwatch League) where he touches on this point. He currently games for a living, but he's also been accepted into college for CS in case he ever decides to stop. I think it's a good plan to have. Search for it on YouTube - it's a pretty good watch.

 

[thetrin]

He can pursue esports, but he should know that most people in esports have jobs and degrees outside of competing.