Should parents really be encouraging their kids to play video games as we watch the gaming and esports world explode? Or is it all just an illusion that they really can get paid doing what they love?

In this episode of All In With Esports, Lewis Johnson sits down with the father-son duo, Mitch and Nate Hagy. Nate, who is in high school and has signed on as semi-pro in esports, talks about what it’s like being in high school, captain of his skeet shooting team, and a semi-professional esports player. And Mitch talks about how he is navigating the parenting world with a son who loves gaming. Plus he discusses how his quest to prove his son wrong, turned into an entirely new career path for himself.

Esports has officially become a family affair in the Hagy Household!

Full Episode Breakdown

2:07 – Nate talks about what quarantine was like a high school gamer, and if he could tell if there was an increase in gaming during that time.

3:46 – Mitch shares his perspective as a father trying to make sure his son is safe during a pandemic, yet keeping his mental health in mind too.

5:20 – Nate discusses how he started out as a swimmer and when he started to take shooting more seriously. Plus the details of what shooting entails.

9:20 – Nate discusses when he realized he wanted to take shooting more seriously.

10:32 – Where does esports fit into Nate’s busy schedule, and how his love for gaming became a family affair?

17:56 – Mitch explains his role with MAP Esports, and how one question completely changed everything for him.

20:24 – Nate explains what divides the professionals from the semi-pros in the world of gaming and esports.

23:12 – The various opportunities available for kids in today allows for kids to truly aspire to do anything they want to do.

25:20 – How important is it for kids who are ‘just sitting in front of a tv’ to truly be in great shape, and how they can perform at the best of their ability?

30:11 – As the world moves to post-COVID, what’s next on the horizon for esports, and what can we expect from the events.