Mr Hill , when you first heard your son wanted to start a career in eSports , what was your first reaction ?
I was surprised that there was anything like that , because he never mentioned it before , but I guess he didn ’ t know much either , so he never could actually describe it to me . His mother took him to his first event in Sweden at the time , which I didn ’ t know since we were divorced . But she really supported him from the start . A lot of the press releases never gave her credit for her being so supportive since the beginning . I am probably more involved now , because I started to play the game and got hooked on it as well . I ’ m still playing it to this day , but I ’ m also sad that Dyrus doesn ’ t play for TSM anymore .
Had you heard of eSports before your son had told you about it ?
No , actually his aunt started calling me to explain he was famous on this game and that it was a big thing , guess my sister was right , but I still didn ’ t know it could be a career or job .
You meet someone new , and they ask what your son is doing for a living . How do you explain eSports to them ?
Just tell them that he plays video games for a living , that he is a pro gamer and then explain from there , you can see bewilderment on their faces at times .
When you attended an eSport event for the first time , how did it feel ? Was it underwhelming or overwhelming ?
It was a very overwhelming event . My sister passed away around that time as well , and she was the one that got me and my son talking again . With everything coming together , it was a very emotional event for everyone .
In comparison to other popular sports , like baseball for example , do you think that eSport crowds need to be more energized ?
No , not really , eSports fans are a great bunch and overall just some people wanting to have fun . I do realize that this sport is hard for some people to understand because they do not play video games themselves . The reason I started playing was to understand what my son was doing , but not every parent will want to play league ( laughs ). But they will feel the excitement in the air if they ever decide to attend an event . I met a few parents and it ’ s just as , or even more exciting as any other sports event .
What tip would you give other parents whose kids want to become professional players ?
I was a hard dad in some ways , but you learn to be a parent along the way . It is not something you automatically know , as your kid grows , so do you . In my opinion , you don ’ t have to follow the standards every other parent does . I tell other parents that if the kid is really good at the game , giving up a year to try to be something in the gaming community is not a bad thing . At least he ’ s actively trying to accomplish something that few people get to do . And really , what ’ s the worst that could happen to them ? Having your son or daughter with you longer is something that all parents will have to face one day . Finishing high school is a must though , no matter what you do in life . Then what the rush , try it when you are young and got time .
What has your experience with the eSports industry been like so far ?
Positive , in most cases being around it has soften me a lot , I ’ d probably be in trouble or even jail if this video game did not take me off the street , but that ’ s another story . Overall it ’ s positive , but I do think young people are disconnected in