Slingshot Esports

Christmas break will be here soon. School will be closed. And they’ll all be in the house. Oh boy. Can we just take their batteries out or at least put them on standby mode? 😰 Like it or not, for the time between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, your kids will be home. Bored, tired, and having “nothing to do”, it’s easy for the natives to get restless. Mindlessly they’ll wander the house looking for that something that they most likely will not find. Unless you give it to them. No, it’s not a long set of endless and tiresome chores. Although, that is very tempting. And no, it’s not another round presents under the tree. Who in the world could afford that? 🤔 It’s something much better than that. Something that will give them purpose and stimulate them. More than simply keeping them busy or zoning out in front of YouTube. It will be something they’ll work at, think about, and strive to achieve. And they will love you for it. 💗 It will be a win-win. Imagine winning the Parent Of The Year trophy. 😁 And it’s simple: host a Gamer Meetup. Whether it’s a Super Smash Bros tournament, a Mario Kart grand prix, a Minecraft collaborative build, a SuperBowl rematch on Madden, a battle royale with Fortnite, or something else, invite your kids' friends to come over and play together. In doing so, you will give them a safe, fun, and engaging way for them to connect, cooperate, and build friendships through the games they love. And they’ll stay out of your hair as long as you don’t run out of snacks… Now, don’t go dismissing the idea already! There’s nothing to fear. You don’t have to do this solo. We’re here to help. We have done this before and can give you tips, tricks, pointers, and all kinds of advice to make sure that you take home the Victory and keep the coveted POTY Trophy. 🏆 Proverbs 17:22 tells us that a joyful heart is good and since this is a joyful time of the year, it just makes sense to hold one of these things for your kids. I would suggest two, but don’t want to press my luck. Want to dive deeper into this? Connect with us at [email protected] and together let’s make this the best Christmas break ever! We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good. P.S. We will host monthly Super Smash Bro tournaments starting in 2025. Make the connection: Up for the challenge? If so, let us know how it goes. We’d love to hear your stories!

Kevin McCallister’s creativity and ingenuity is brilliant. Michael Jordan on the train. Tar and nails on the steps. Searing hot door knob. Paint cans from the banister. And that’s just a fraction of his creativity, quick thinking, and resourcefulness. The strategy that he employs in Home Alone to outsmart two thieves is impressive. Ok, Harry and Marv don’t have too much upstairs, but they appear to have had some previous success at their job. While most 8 year olds will never have to defend their homes from Wet Bandits on Christmas Eve, we love watching him be the hero, MacGyver style. Just like Kevin, our own kids have that same resourcefulness. They have strategy. They outsmart opponents. They are, quite frankly, brilliant. Yeah, you may not see it every day and for the moments it’s on display, you might not be around. But that’s ok. It’s there. Trust me. This can get very frustrating, though. We want nothing more than to see our kids be the best they can be. We want to see them excel, do great things, overcome life’s battles. This may even cause us to push them so that we can see what we’re “missing”. The Bible speaks to this, too. Colossians 3:21 encourages parents, and especially dads, to be careful to not discourage their kids. This can be really easy to do when we don’t see those characteristics in our players that we want to see. So, as you give gifts this Christmas, give your player the gift of grace. Know that as they move throughout their life, they are somewhere, somehow demonstrating those characteristics, one way or another. And of course, no Christmas season is truly complete without at least watching Kevin’s first round with Harry and Marv once. And when you do, also make sure that you invest some time watching your player demonstrate their own style of Kevin’s ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness. Sure, your player may not be using a tommy gun from the 1940’s, but it will be so much fun to together tell that level boss, “Keep the change, ya filthy animal!” We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.

Shawn Johnson's performance on the balance beam at the 2008 Beijing Olympics is considered one of the best Olympic performances ever on the apparatus. Being a scant 4” wide and a frightening 4’ off the ground, the balance beam is not something that most people can do flips on. Balancing on that skinny thing so high up in the air and then having to do all kinds of acrobatics while not falling off is just insane. I couldn’t even do a round of “head shoulders knees and toes” without landing on the mat. But when done well, the 90 second routine done by an Olympic athlete can be absolutely amazing. For the rest of us, balancing all of life can seem like an Olympic sized event in itself. Work, family, friends, church, volunteering, and more can seem just as stressful as being in front of over 12.7 million viewers watching your every move. So when parents come alongside their players and guide them in balancing gaming with other responsibilities, it’s a huge win for everyone. As players know their parents trust them to balance gaming with other responsibilities like schoolwork, chores, or family time, they are more likely to take responsibility for their own actions. This is trust in action, giving players autonomy but with the foundation of trust and accountability. Trust doesn’t mean no boundaries. It means giving players the tools and the space to manage their responsibilities and leisure time, rather than micromanaging every aspect of their time. Teaching players to be faithful with their time reinforces the principle of stewardship found in Luke 16:10: The one who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and the one unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much.” Your player doesn’t need to perform a record-setting routine every day. Not even Nadia Comaneci or Simone Biles can do that. But as you develop parenting with trust with your gamer, even the small win will feel Olympic. We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.

I get too many notifications on my phone. Look at the latest score. Peek at this video. Take advantage of this offer. Aye caramba! I ignore most of them. However, one type of notification that always gets through the defense shield is a shipping update. I like communication from the shipper. I like to know when my precious package has left the building, when it will arrive, and all of its stops along the way. It allows me to trust that they know where my goodies are, that they are being responsible with them, and when to expect delivery. Open communication is the cornerstone of trust. Not only with our delivery services, but with other humans as well. This includes family members for sure. Dialogue with their player allows parents to better understand their player’s world and provides an opportunity to teach important life lessons, like perseverance, cooperation, and handling frustration. Through open communication, parents who want to parent with trust in a gaming world can encourage their player to freely share their thoughts, experiences, and even frustrations related to gaming. James 1:19 helps guide us when we dialogue with our players: "My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger." The Thanksgiving weekend will allow time for creating open communication and healthy dialogue with your player, by both listening and then speaking . Go ahead and create a reminder right now to have that conversation later. Just promise me that you won’t ignore the notification. We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.

I didn’t always despise video games. In fact, I played a lot of games on my Atari 2600, Nintendo NES, and PS One. In fact, when the kids were younger, our whole family played all types of racing games on the PlayStation 2. But as our kids grew older, I somehow slipped into the thinking that video games are a waste of time and that they will rot your brain. I jumped to conclusions because I saw little to no value in them whatsoever. I became strict about enforcing time limits. I micromanaged game selection. I ignored concerns over lag time. I even disconnected the monitor and the PS4 while our son was playing. 🤦 In short, I lacked empathy and patience. Then, one day, humility took its rightful place and I entered into our son’s world to learn and to listen.  What happened next transformed our relationship, our family, and my life forever. I had missed the obvious. Parenting with trust in a gaming world begins with those two things: empathy and patience. Once we stop judging and humbly enter their world, we can listen to our player’s reasons for enjoying video games. We build trust with our players by acknowledging the value they place on gaming. This is done simply by listening to them. We don’t throw away our concern for them, nor the need for healthy boundaries. What good parent would do that? Not me, I tell ya. The way those boundaries are set matters. Instead of issuing strict rules, involve your player in the boundary setting process. Take time to discuss why limits are necessary for health, balance, and family time. This mutual decision-making reinforces trust, as our players feel respected and part of the conversation rather than controlled, dismissed, or unloved. Ephesians 4:2 is super helpful here and by being humble, gentle and patient, we are able to work together with our players to create reasonable gaming boundaries. At Slingshot Esports, our goal is to unlock the potential of gaming while encouraging players to strengthen their relationships, all of which is rooted in Christian principles. By shedding light on the world of video games, we create connections and celebrate the important role gaming holds in the lives of our players. Make the connection: How might we create the time and space to show empathy and patience by creating or reviewing our boundaries around video games? We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.

In the movie Batman Begins, crime boss Carmine Falcone informs Bruce Wayne about the world in which he now finds himself: “This is a world you'll never understand. And you always fear what you don't understand.” 🚨Spoiler alert. This statement arguably launches Bruce Wayne into eventually becoming Batman. Yeah, words have power. We may feel like video games and gaming is a world we’ll never understand. And, at some level, we may even fear gaming because we don’t understand it. Yeah, this is a tough place for us to be, especially when our kids really enjoy playing. Good news is that we don’t have to go to Bhutan to become our kid’s superhero. Trust is a foundational element in relationships, including those between parents and children. We can emphasize building a relationship of trust with our kids that allows for healthy communication, mutual understanding, and a deeper connection. And we don’t need tights, a cape, or an underground secret base. Whew. So, begin by Understanding Gaming. For many of us parents, video games can seem like a foreign world, but trust begins with a genuine effort to understand that world. By learning about the games our children play, we show respect for our kids’ interests. This effort not only builds trust but also opens the door to meaningful conversations about what gaming means to our players and how it fits into their life. And now, we're really showing our superpowers. Something super helpful from the Bible is found in Proverbs 17:27: “The one who has knowledge restrains his words, and one who keeps a cool head is a person of understanding.” And as Steven Covey suggests, let’s seek first to understand before jumping to conclusions. While we may feel the urge to leap to judgments about gaming with our cape trailing behind, informed and calm communication is really what will build trust with our players. At Slingshot Esports, we're on a mission to crack the gaming code and help players level up their relationships, all while keeping it infused with Christian values and ethics. By pulling back the curtain on video games, we build bridges and acknowledge the epic quest gaming plays in our players' lives. Make the connection: Take time to learn more about games our kids play in order to remove any fear we have with their gaming. We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.

Here's the final two tips to help us be healthy spectators for our gaming kids. While we can be tempted to mail it in when spectating, doing so means we miss the massive opportunity to create an environment where our player feels valued, supported, and understood. And what parent wants that? Today’s two tips: Model Good Sportsmanship. Whether they admit it or not, our children look to us as a model of how to handle both success and disappointment. Like that security camera at the bank, they are always watching. They are picking up what we’re laying down. They’re taking their cue from us. As you spectate their games, celebrate their victories humbly and handle losses gracefully. Do your best to avoid negative comments about them, their game play, and other players or teams. After a loss or difficult challenge, remind your child that winning isn’t everything—the experience and learning also count. When we take a look at Philippians 2:3-4, we have a model for us to follow, too. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” We see an emphasis on humility and putting others first, which is at the heart of good sportsmanship. It’s about celebrating with humility and handling setbacks with grace, setting a positive example for our players. Pro Tip: Make sure you have a good grasp on the game and how it’s played before commenting on what your player should/shouldn’t have done. Set Healthy Boundaries. We want to encourage balanced gaming habits, reminding our players to take breaks, stay hydrated, and balance gaming with other activities. These are important as well as establishing a routine that supports mental and physical well-being. Doing so will reinforce that we care about them beyond just their performance in the game. So, while spectating, you may be tempted to talk about setting healthy boundaries. But let’s be clear - it’s best to keep it quiet about this until the gaming is over. Spoiler alert: this is hard. Any type of conversation about boundaries while gaming will shut things down faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive. Like all things, timing is everything. Spectate the gaming session well and then talk about boundaries later. Pro Tip: Set aside a time when everyone is calm and go to a private, neural location to talk about boundaries. Think Dunkin, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Taco Bell. Being a healthy spectator for our gaming child is an opportunity to strengthen our relationship and build a bridge of understanding between us and our players. Just as we would in any other activity, our support and involvement make a world of difference. Make the connection: How might we build time into our routines to spectate our players in a way that strengthens our relationship with them? We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.

We have six ideas to help us as parents become healthy spectators. We’ve shared the first two already will share 2 today, and 2 in the next post. We totally get that these next two tips might be a stretch. But what we know is that you love your kids and that you will do anything for them, including sitting in the cold and the rain, holding the umbrella in one hand and a Stanley of coffee in the other just to watch their soccer game. We can guarantee that these next two tips will be both warmer and dryer for sure. Today’s top two tips: 1. Watch a live stream or tournament. Many gamers broadcast their gameplay on platforms like Twitch or participate in online tournaments. Show your support by asking your player to watch a live stream together. This may be a whole new experience for you so do your best to enter with an open mind. You can even comment in the chat with your player or talk about what is happening during the match. If you can’t find something good to watch, ask your player to hop on Discord, play with their friends, and live stream the match for you to watch.  *Pro Tip: Watch and cheer, just like you would at a their soccer game, minus the cold, rain, and umbrella.(You can bring the Stanley of coffee.) ☕ 2. Ask questions and show genuine interest. Engaging with your player through open-ended questions like, “What was the/your strategy of that match?” or “What was the hardest part of that match?” shows them you care and want to understand their passion. You’ll need to gauge how much to ask and when to talk. Just like physical sports, nobody likes a chatty Cathy during an entire game. *Pro Tip: Avoid judgmental or dismissive language that makes them feel that gaming is not valid. As you embark on this journey with your player, remember Proverbs 18:15: “The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it.” Yeah, there’s a little bit of humility that goes with that you’re doing here, but when you take these tips seriously, you will create an environment where you are respected and your child feels heard and valued. Make the connection: Reflect on your experience watching a live stream and showing genuine interest, noting what went well and what can be improved for next time. We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.

We always mean well. We love our kids. We care for them. We provide for them. And in all of that, we discipline them. There’s a lot of things that we get right and there’s a lot that we know. And (most of the time) our kids are grateful. But when it comes to video games, sometimes we’re at a loss. We don’t know what to do or what to make of it or are fighting misunderstandings. It’s not always easy. But all is not lost. With some grace and a lot of patience, we can become parents who are healthy spectators. We have six ideas to help us as parents become healthy spectators. We’ll share 2 today, 2 in the next message, and 2 in the one after. Today’s top two tips: Educate Yourself About the Game. Find a time when you’re not distracted with life stuff and ask your player to watch them play a game that they really like. As you watch, learn its rules, mechanics, and objectives. Ask questions, be in the moment. You don’t have to become an expert, but having a general grasp will help you appreciate your player’s successes and empathize with their frustrations. In other words, learn when to cheer and when to be sad. Pro Tip: Ask for a few YouTuber tutorials to watch to learn more. Cheer for Effort, Not Just Results. Just like in traditional sports, effort matters more than results. Look and cheer for creative problem-solving, teamwork, and perseverance. Recognize when your player overcomes a tough opponent or tries a new strategy, even if it doesn’t lead to a victory. This encourages resilience and shows your gamer that you value their growth more than the outcome. But of course, when they do something really cool, you can let loose. Pro Tip: Recognize when your player demonstrates resilience in real life. The Bible has this found in 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.” Spending time watching your player, learning from them and hearing them talk about what they like to do is a great way to build your relationship with them and to be an encouragement to them. Make the connection: As you embark on your journey to be a healthy spectator, share with us your experience where it’s good, bad or otherwise. We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good.

Spectating matters. For any type of public performance, your kid wants you to spectate. They want you to see them do their thing and be present through it all. They want to know that when they look up into the stands, they can see you rooting and cheering for them. It’s comforting and exciting all in one. And for physical sports, a piano recital, or a school play, most of the time you know what to do. Yeah, there are times when certain parents (thank God not you) get a little sideways but for the most part, they get it. But with gaming and esports? Hmmm, not so much. Yet, for parents whose kids are active in gaming or esports, knowing how to be a healthy spectator can seem less straightforward. Some don’t like gaming, some don’t understand the draw of video games, and some are willing but just don’t even know where to begin. The good news is that the same supportive behaviors from traditional sports and activities translate to gaming. Over the next three weeks, we’re going to share ways to help you understand why and how to be a healthy spectator. We’re also sharing with the players how to help you, too. The Why: Being a healthy spectator for gaming kids means more than just being present. It means creating an environment where your gamer feels valued, supported, and understood. Just as most parents wouldn’t criticize every missed goal or misplaced note, it’s crucial for you to approach gaming with the same grace and encouragement. It’s helpful when you understand that positive spectating fosters a sense of confidence, strengthens the bond between you and your kid, and encourages your gamer to pursue their interests wholeheartedly. It’s not just about winning or losing; it’s about celebrating effort, progress, and soaking in the joy that gaming brings to them. Helping parents understand these things is a big reason why Slingshot Esports exists. We want parents with gamer kids to be better equipped to create a healthy family dynamic so their kids can grow socially and spiritually while doing what they love. Join us at our upcoming GameFusion Event to learn more about how you can do that. Stay tuned. Next week we’ll begin to share practical tips for how you can be healthy spectators. Make the connection: What are some potential ways or things we can do to be a healthy spectator? We are #ForTheGamer and help players play with purpose and win for good. Want to read previous messages? Check out our Level UP blog here: https://lnkd.in/gTMRf2FU