Parents, and my first real tourney

[Indigo Jeans]

Link to original post: [drupal=2110]Parents, and my first real tourney[/drupal]



Epic of Woodbridge. My first real tourney. I was stoked. I worked up the nerve to ask my parents if I could go. "Will you interact with kids your age?" "Yes." "Okay. We'll drive you there. We just need information." So, about a week later(today), I show them the thread. They scroll down, then stop. "What's all this about fees?" "Well, ypu have to pay a venue and signup fee. Where do you think they get the prize money?" Now, I had attended one tourney before this. It was the Gamestop one when Brawl came out. I lost, because I wasn't able to pick my char, and I had to use WN setup. "So now, my parents say, "We're not gonna let you waste 15 dollars just so you'll be there five minutes.
You're not going."

I was devestated, to say the least.

"But I sucked then! I'm good now!" They said no.

If my parents won't even support me on a video game, and one I'm good at, what will they be supportive about?

My inside is an inferno right now. I hate my life so much.

 

[ETWIST51294]

Get rides from people, make your own money. I'm having the same problem right now...

 

[SuSa]

Did you explain that people usually get better at things over time and that it's been a large time since you last went and lost?

Explain to them like it's a sport.... rather then bringing up a one line argument.

You have to be convincing.

"So just because _____ played horribly his first season, you think they'd fire him off the team? NO! He practiced, and came back second season and was the MVP!" (find your own example, I know nothing about sports)

 

[Indigo Jeans]

@Twist: I have my own money. They just think it's a waste.

@SuSa: Zomg you're right. Thanks mang, I gonna try it. I just have to swallow my own pride first.

 

[SuSa]

Pride when dealing with parents?

You have none. That's something you need to learn to deal with.

Also if you win, they'll suddenly become far more supportive. *rolls eyes* it's how my Dad worked...

"No you can't go" <-- tourney after my first tourney that I lost at

A few weeks later, argued my case

"Fine, just this one last time" --> I win and come back with $56 in my pocket

Next tourney "alright" /no problems --> I place well, but don't win

Little reluctant to drive, but he finally decides to.. --> Come back with another $44 (someone payed my entry this time)

Now he doesn't really care. He just tells me. "I know you can win, and I know you won't ALWAYS win. But I know it's something you enjoy to do and I want you to do things you enjoy, you always are able to pay for yourself to enter and it's your money. If your not winning as much I know you won't enter as much because you'll start seeing it as a waste of investment. It's your money and I guess you need to learn how to manage it how you want."

tl;dr:
If you want to waste your money, waste it. You'll learn to save it when you know it's not working out.

The problem for his argument is it's not working out. ;o So far I'm in a +$22 (total) profit from all my tourneys. (this includes tourneys I haven't won, paying friend gas, and paying back people who payed my entry fees, etc.)

 

[Indigo Jeans]

Thanks SuSa. Thanks for your help. I actually appreciate things.

 

[SuSa]

From my experience with my Dad (this happened back in Melee as well) you really only have 2 arguments:

1) Compare it to something else (such as sports, after all... gaming IS competitive)
2) Discuss how it's your money and while they may see it as a 'waste' it is in fact a 'learning experience' how can they expect you to know how to handle money if you never see the bad side of poor money management? (This is an argument I used against my Mom back when I lived with her. She said the same thing your parents did, it worked. :x Will differ between parents.

Make it seem like you are confidant you are going to win. If you recognize any names that you've played with (even if it's online) point them out and say you've played and beaten them before, hell - make it up (don't make it obvious your lying though) if you have to. This works especially well for smaller tourneys. (30 man or less) but make sure to not point out any players you feel you'd lose to. You don't want to give them doubts of you winning.

That's about all I can offer, let me know how it works out. Glad I could have helped from my past experiences.

 

[Chaco]

"Mom! Dad! This is Mew2King! I 4 stocked him with Falcon on Green Greens"

Yeah, I'd be selective on who you point out. Lol. But do what SuSa says.

 

[SuSa]

"Mom! Dad! This is Mew2King! I 4 stocked him with Falcon on Green Greens"

Yeah, I'd be selective on who you point out. Lol. But do what SuSa says.

I'm going to misquote that and sig it.

 

[Tennet]

Be glad your parents even considered letting you go, my mom doesn't even really want to talk about it, she has to know how it will benefit me in silly things, like my career. I've tried explaining it would be more like a hobby etc and yeah NO.

 

[SuSa]

So you aren't allowed to have a hobby?

Start collecting action figures that are $11.99 each...preferably Bionicles or something even more useless and every time you build one show it off to your mom and say "since I couldn't play competitive video games, I decided to collect useless action figures"

/I'm really kiiddng on that.

 

[FOXYB]

it wouldnt be a waste even if you lost. heck ive been to tourneys where i got my butt destroyed but its the experience that counts. it is nice to do better once you have been to a good number but for starters just be happy to be there ha. tell your parents its not about winning or losing. its about the time spent with like minded individuals to further your mental and emotional growth.

 

[SuSa]

Foxy's argument is pretty legit near the ending.

 

[Chaco]

All they have to do is click the link back to the post, lol.

 

[Tennet]

I collected bionicles for years...

My mom gave some of the most stupid excuses ever. Talk me on aim if you want to here a kid rant

 

[SuSa]

Start collecting Hot Wheels.

 

[Teran]

Start collecting Hot Wheels.

I have soooooooo many Hot Wheels. :3

 

[Tennet]

i'd rather not collect something i don't care about...I changed what i want to do in college because i don't care much about cars anymore... never really did >.>

 

[SuSa]

Well collect something you care about, but don't tell your parents you care about it. You forget why you are collecting something overall useless.

I used to collect anime posters, that I'd never hang up in my room. They sat unopened in my closet.

Now.. sorry for the thread hijack.. let's go back to TRDS's problem at hand....

 

[Tennet]

Go on aim, and we'll continue this... -and i don't care you can't because you aren't home >.>

and Good luck TRDS.

 

[TwentyTwo]

They need to know that you won't be there for just 5 minutes, because even if you were knocked out(and come on this is brawl, nothing happens in 5 minutes lol) you'd still be allowed to play friendlies. And K-9 is a pretty friendly host, if you don't want to enter the tournament, he'll probably allow you to stay and play friendlies with no cost at all. The MD/VA smash community likes to help each other a lot, I think Chu even talked to someone's parents about them coming to a tourney. And if a ride is the only problem you could ask around in thread for a ride, if you're not completely out of the way, good chance you'll find one.

 

[Deleted member]

I don't understand why you can't spend your own money to do something you enjoy. That's just wrong.

 

[Man of Popsicle]

If my parents won't even support me on a video game, and one I'm good at, what will they be supportive about?

Something that matters, perhaps?
School type stuff and what not.

 

[FOXYB]

Something that matters, perhaps?
School type stuff and what not.

video games do matter. they arent a waste of time. its a beautiful part of life. if video games didnt matter, then why are we even here on the SWF? why is there a SWF in the first place?

 

[:mad:]

video games do matter. they arent a waste of time. its a beautiful part of life. if video games didnt matter, then why are we even here on the SWF? why is there a SWF in the first place?

Because nerds still exist.

 

[SuSa]

FOXY, you know what he meant.

Normally for your future, video games don't matter. Being a competitive gamer isn't the norm (as a professional career) and you pretty much have to be really talented to be good enough to get a sponsorship or something if you actually play on having it as a career.

It's more of a hobby for me, and hobbies never truly matter to anyone outside of yourself. It just so happens that many people share the same hobby. Chances are - your parent's don't. Hence it doesn't matter to them.

 

[Lore]

Link to original post: [drupal=2110]Parents, and my first real tourney[/drupal]

"We're not gonna let you waste 15 dollars just so you'll be there five minutes.

Do they realise that you'll be there for longer than 5 mins, whether you win or not? There is such a thing as friendlies.