Video games are fantastic. They’re entertaining and can help you connect to new people. There are entire supportive communities around various games, and there’s something for everyone.
Video games have come a long way from Combat and Duck Hunt. Professional leagues have sprung up as video games have changed and become more impressive.
These leagues are legitimate ways for video game lovers to earn money to help pay for their education and even earn a living.
Unfortunately, some parents aren’t entirely on board with the concept of playing video games for a career.
Your parents may think there’s no way you can get a scholarship for playing video games.
It might be tough to get your parents on board with the idea that eSports is a real thing, but we’ve got some tips to help you convince your parents that eSports can be a viable option for some people.
Introduce Them to The Gaming Culture
You may be wondering, “How do I talk to my parents about eSports?” To help parents understand eSports, you should first introduce them to the concept of gaming culture and the communities.
Start by offering to play a game together. If they know you love video gaming, they would probably be thrilled to join you.
For the first game you play together, choose one with easy-to-understand rules and controls. We recommend Mario Kart or perhaps Among Us.
Do not begin with a game like Call of Duty or Valorant. These games would be too graphic for your first game together, which may immediately put them off.
Instead, be sure to choose a game with simple rules. Rocket League, for example, is easy to understand, but the gameplay may be a bit too challenging for them to play.
You will need to explain the rules, the goal, and the controls. Be sure you are playing when you have a lot of patience because you may need to answer many questions that may feel very obvious to you.
Be patient, and answer their questions. Invite them to play frequently so that they understand what it feels like to keep coming back to a game and improving over time.
Don’t Start with a Statement that Might Freak Them Out
While the eventual goal is to convince your parents that eSports are a viable way to earn a scholarship and a living, do not lead with that. Instead, introduce the topic slowly over time.
They might become easily triggered if you talk about future goals revolving around gaming before they even understand what gaming is. Take your time with this one. It’s worth it.
Having your parents’ buy-in early will help a great deal in the long run.
Have Your Facts Straight – Do Your Homework on eSports
While your parents may begin to enjoy playing video games with you, that will feel like a far cry from imagining you playing them professionally as you earn a living.
As you begin broaching the topic, you’ll want some statistics to back you up.
Be sure you do some research for this and that your sources are reliable. While having your facts in line is essential, introduce them as discussion points rather than a just throwing numbers at your parents.
Engage your parents in a conversation. Here are some discussion points to get you started:
- Did you know that professional eSports gamers made $50,000-$75,000 in salary alone in 2021?
- Did you know that the eSports industry is projected to create more than $1.6 billion in revenue in 2024?
- Watching eSports is super popular. Did you know that over 250 million people watch esports?
- And did you know that more people watch eSports than the MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS combined?
Let Them Watch You Play
You’ve played with them and had some good conversations on the topic, and now it’s time for the next step: let your parents watch you play.
We know, we know. This one is a big ask. But think about it this way: parents watch kids play soccer, football, and baseball games every day. They love watching their kids play.
If you want them to view eSports as a legitimate opportunity to earn money and scholarships in your future, you have to share it with them.
If you are skilled enough to be considering professional play, the worst thing you can do is not show them how good you are. Let them experience it!
Bring in the Allies
There’s a good chance you know someone who loves gaming and understands eSports.
This may be an uncle, aunt, cousin, or a family friend. Reach out to this person and see if they would be willing and interested in helping open the conversation to help introduce your parents to the concept.
Your parents are going to talk to their friends, coworkers, and other family members about this topic anyway. So, give them some adults to talk to right off the bat.
Often, adults need to hear support from other adults to start considering the possibilities.
Show Them the Career Path Options
Even if college is a while off for you, universities might be some of your best allies at this point. Colleges and universities worldwide are embracing eSports with funding and scholarship opportunities.
Some parents may be afraid that their child wants to skip school and go straight into professional eSports.
Get ahead of this mindset and show your parents that eSports could actually help you get to college and complete your education.
Share a few college Esport programs with your parents so they know that these programs actually exist.
Take Your Time – This is a Long Conversation that Should Evolve Their Perspective Over Time
We know that this conversation will take time. Begin by planting a seed, nurture the idea. Don’t overwhelm your parents. Show them how beneficial gaming is.
Take your time. Slow and steady will definitely win this race.
We hope these tips are helpful in beginning a conversation about eSports with your parents. Let us know how it goes!
Please share your questions or insights about convincing parents that eSports are real in the comments section below.
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