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i used to play a lot of competitive video games as a kid. namely (and in order): cod, overwatch, cs:go, league of legends, fortnite, apex legends, valorant, and much more. i ranked decently high despite putting meager hours into these games. looking back, gaming has taught me so much about life and has molded my personality to be who i am today. i believe that every kid should do something competitive, whether thats sports, arts, video games, or something else.

specifically however, gaming has introduced major core concepts into my mind unknowingly:

• handling loss
• experience with clutch/back against the wall situations
• grinding/working hard towards a goal
• skirting house rules
• honing a skill
• tapping into a passion
• building strategic thinking

competitive gaming is no joke; while parents might think its a fun little thing, gaming has taken over the world - from social communities to biggest arenas being filled up. the bar is insanely high and competition is fun. but, we're here to talk about why your kid should play competitive games. the points listed above are very real and applicable to life.

rejection and loss are obstacle #1 for any success. clutching or knowing how to think/act fast in milliseconds is key to apt decision making. grinding/working hard needs no explanation. learning how to properly hide and skirt house rules to achieve goals is a massive skill in the real world - those who find success find ways to navigate around rules. focusing on one ability (like aiming, game sense, and hand-eye coordination) is parallel to a real world superpower to get good at something. being able to tap into a passion automatically gives you something others don't have - the ability to deeply care about something; this naturally yields you 100x results. and lastly, strategic thinking is paramount in a world of easily accessible and infinite knowledge, rapid advancements, and high competition; knowing how to take a step back, evaluate the landscape (a game situation), reach deep and think about how to win is a trait only true leaders have.

the points outlined above are just a start: teamwork and communication, mental agility and problem-solving, and creativity are just a few more that speak to tangible skills an aspiring contributor to society would want to have. teaching kids to care about something is a profoundly difficult task; through interests like gaming, this becomes easy and worthwhile - albeit, as a parent, you should know what your kid is doing and guide them towards a [lawful, neutral, or chaotic] good.

i'm sure you're concerned about your kid but balance is key; let them game! competitive activities build resilience, ignite creativity, and drive personal growth; invaluable keys for any human.