The gaming and esports industry is still hard to get, not only for some advertising and marketing companies but also for many parents. The critical ingredient that is missing in the relationship between worried-by-the-future-of-their-kids parents and video games is a bit of education. That is the primary purpose of COPE, the Coalition of Parents in Esports.

COPE was co-founded by Shae Williams and Chris Spikoski. Shae, aka Shaemmon, is the Executive Director at COPE, and mother of Vanish Duster, a night-time Twitch streamer. Chris is the COPE’s CEO, he is a Social Media Manager at Skeptic Enterprises, and the father of the pro gamer Misfits Sceptic.

In this episode, we get a word from COPE’s co-founders; they explained their goal by creating this organization, what taboos they expect to tear down, and the kind of education they offer to parents interested in supporting their kids in pursuing an esports’ career. We explore the common misconceptions about gaming, the time kids must spend training their abilities in the game and the crucial need for healthy habits. 

Resources:

Visit COPE website: https://cope.gg/

Connect with Shae on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaemmon/

or follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaemmon

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cspikoski/

or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CSpikoski?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:42 – Chris talks about himself, his gaming journey, and what his role is at COPE.

4:17 – Chris describes what it feels like to be the father of a pro gamer.

6:21 – Chris shares some advice about what kind of support parents should focus on giving their gamer kids. 

9:05 – Shae Williams introduces herself and talks about what COPE is.

12:14 – Shae talks about what she thinks parents are missing about what is gaming and esports. 

17:06 – Shae talks about what kind of 2022 they expect to have at COPE.