A Teen with Autism and Smash Bros.
I knew this was going to happen someday.
My son is a gamer.
What is a gamer?
Assuming this is a real term (I think it is), a gamer is a person who plays video games. Lot of video games. To the point where they go out and play in video game tournaments.
I’m guessing that a gamer doesn’t have to go to the extreme of entering tournaments. You could just be a person who plays a lot of video games and you get really good at a game or two.
Or lots of them.
It is my understanding that tournaments can specialize in the many different video game crazes that are out there today.
What does my son play?
Currently, my son plays Smash Bros.
He has played many other video games in the past. But, this is the first game where he has really began to take it out of the house.
For example, he plays a lot at a buddy’s house.
And, now he wants to play in tournaments.
Did he play in a tournament?
Yes. During my son’s spring break, I took him down to Santa Ana (California) so he could compete in his first ever gamer-type of tournament. This one was in Smash Bros. (Smash Brothers, a Nintendo game where “trained” characters are played by the gamers in order to battle another gamer.)
At times, my son looked like the newbie that he was. We didn’t really know how the whole tournament thing worked at all so we arrived early (way too early) and we didn’t even when the tournament itself was supposed to begin (turned out it was at 7pm).
My son decided to “free play” for the hour before the beginning of the tournament.
When the tournament began, he was (unfortunately) pitted against two adult gamer veterans. He lost both matches.
Besides losing both games, I do remember seeing him walk around a lot, which is something he does when he’s nervous. He wouldn’t admit to me that he was nervous, but it was his first time, so it was totally expected.
On the bright side, my son was informed by other games (buddies of his) that that was probably going to happen. These tournament typically match up veterans verses newbies in order to weed out the newbies. They want the veterans to be in it at the end.
How did my son feel about the whole thing?
Turns out he felt pretty good. He told me he didn’t expect to win and he said he even knew that he was going to play against experienced gamers. That’s the why these things work.
My son has two really good “advisers” that he listens to. They prepped him well.
He wasn’t even upset about the fact that we were an hour away from home, at night, on a school night, and we really couldn’t stay too long (after he had lost his matches).
All in all, my son was pleased. He loved the experience and not only wants to do it again but he’s going to pair up with one of his mentors! I think that’ll be good for him in order to help him build confidence.
We had a nice time in this town (one that I had never been to). And, I think we’re going to be spending even more time down there! A Teen with Autism and Smash Bros.
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