StealthyGunnar
Smash Champion
Link to original post: [drupal=3543]My First Tournament Experience: Not What I expected (But Don't Give Up!)[/drupal]
Games N Go at Rosedale Mall. I'll be there, I thought. It'll be awesome. I'll get to meet some new people and maybe I'll win a few games.
I'm hyped. It's game day. It's gonna be awesome. But it wasn't. It was not the experience I thought it would be.
I arrived at Games N Go at around 5:30, tourney didn't start until 6:15. Luckily, some guys with setups came and we played some friendlies, and I just didn't understand why I wasn't doing better. But it wasn't that bad. I got to meet Moe and Deepak, both good players. We play some team friendlies, my team kept losing time and time again, but it's just friendlies. I also watch some friendlies and notice this guy just owning with Marth against some other guy playing Fox. Then the rules are told to all attendees. Double elimination? Awesome. I'll get a second chance if I lose.
First match in the tourney, Moe vs. me. "Good luck", he says. Random stage picked - we went to FoD. I picked Doc since I love playing as him, and Moe picked Falco. Needless to say, he slaughtered me. For some reason, after everything I've practice, I just can't perform as well as I do at home. Nerves or something, I don't know.
Second set, I pick Ganon and go Dreamland. He stays w/ Falco. I took a few stocks off him, but still, he slaughtered me. He shook my hand afterward and said "good game." I said, "No... it wasn't," but with a smile. But he was a nice guy and gave me some good advice. "You gotta lose some before you start winning. Check out Mn Smash. We got smashfests almost everyday. That's where you get your practice." Taking this in, I get up and await my next match still thinking about why I didn't perform better. Something was wrong. After forgetting about the previous match, I start watching these two randoms I don't know. Mario vs. Link. Not a very exciting match, but who cares. Mario wins and some other guys step up to the TV, plug in their controllers and start playing.
My name is called up after about 5-6mins. Me vs. the guy that played fox against Marth in the friendlies. Of course, I decide to use Captain Falcon. He uses Fox and we go to Dreamland. He barely wins, by one stock.
Next set, I pick Marth thinking, "maybe I'll have some luck and beat him." But no, he just reads me too well. And I still keep wondering why I'm not doing better. Then I realize that the calibration on the TV's were off. Like there was either lag on the TV I normally play, or there was lag on these. I don't know which. It didn't matter, though. I couldn't adjust in time. But again, he beats me. And I hear the words I hope I never have to hear again: "Wow... you kinda suck." I answer meekly, "I know."
I get up with my controller and walk away. I feel weightless... I feel like I'm about to break down. I didn't stay for the rest of the tourney. I couldn't learn anything from watching these people who are at a level I will only someday achieve. The only thing I learned is that I need to get way better.
I see my mom walking by and follow her out. I tell her I'm ready to go and explain that I lose both my matches in a row. I still feeling like breaking down. I put all this effort in just to lose and to be told that I suck. Not how I thought my first tournament would go. I know I wouldn't get far, but to be told I suck? That just ruined it. Now I'm wondering if I should even play melee anymore. I don't want to have to be told I suck ever again.
Eventually, we get home. And as I'm writing this blog, I realize something: I'm not going to stop playing melee, no matter how many times I lose. I'm going to show that kid who really sucks the next time I see him. I will get better. And I will beat him.
So for all of you who want to quit, don't. You can only get better and learn from your mistakes.
Games N Go at Rosedale Mall. I'll be there, I thought. It'll be awesome. I'll get to meet some new people and maybe I'll win a few games.
I'm hyped. It's game day. It's gonna be awesome. But it wasn't. It was not the experience I thought it would be.
I arrived at Games N Go at around 5:30, tourney didn't start until 6:15. Luckily, some guys with setups came and we played some friendlies, and I just didn't understand why I wasn't doing better. But it wasn't that bad. I got to meet Moe and Deepak, both good players. We play some team friendlies, my team kept losing time and time again, but it's just friendlies. I also watch some friendlies and notice this guy just owning with Marth against some other guy playing Fox. Then the rules are told to all attendees. Double elimination? Awesome. I'll get a second chance if I lose.
First match in the tourney, Moe vs. me. "Good luck", he says. Random stage picked - we went to FoD. I picked Doc since I love playing as him, and Moe picked Falco. Needless to say, he slaughtered me. For some reason, after everything I've practice, I just can't perform as well as I do at home. Nerves or something, I don't know.
Second set, I pick Ganon and go Dreamland. He stays w/ Falco. I took a few stocks off him, but still, he slaughtered me. He shook my hand afterward and said "good game." I said, "No... it wasn't," but with a smile. But he was a nice guy and gave me some good advice. "You gotta lose some before you start winning. Check out Mn Smash. We got smashfests almost everyday. That's where you get your practice." Taking this in, I get up and await my next match still thinking about why I didn't perform better. Something was wrong. After forgetting about the previous match, I start watching these two randoms I don't know. Mario vs. Link. Not a very exciting match, but who cares. Mario wins and some other guys step up to the TV, plug in their controllers and start playing.
My name is called up after about 5-6mins. Me vs. the guy that played fox against Marth in the friendlies. Of course, I decide to use Captain Falcon. He uses Fox and we go to Dreamland. He barely wins, by one stock.
Next set, I pick Marth thinking, "maybe I'll have some luck and beat him." But no, he just reads me too well. And I still keep wondering why I'm not doing better. Then I realize that the calibration on the TV's were off. Like there was either lag on the TV I normally play, or there was lag on these. I don't know which. It didn't matter, though. I couldn't adjust in time. But again, he beats me. And I hear the words I hope I never have to hear again: "Wow... you kinda suck." I answer meekly, "I know."
I get up with my controller and walk away. I feel weightless... I feel like I'm about to break down. I didn't stay for the rest of the tourney. I couldn't learn anything from watching these people who are at a level I will only someday achieve. The only thing I learned is that I need to get way better.
I see my mom walking by and follow her out. I tell her I'm ready to go and explain that I lose both my matches in a row. I still feeling like breaking down. I put all this effort in just to lose and to be told that I suck. Not how I thought my first tournament would go. I know I wouldn't get far, but to be told I suck? That just ruined it. Now I'm wondering if I should even play melee anymore. I don't want to have to be told I suck ever again.
Eventually, we get home. And as I'm writing this blog, I realize something: I'm not going to stop playing melee, no matter how many times I lose. I'm going to show that kid who really sucks the next time I see him. I will get better. And I will beat him.
So for all of you who want to quit, don't. You can only get better and learn from your mistakes.