Many parents of gifted children allow their kids to take
time off of school to pursue their artistic or athletic vocation. But what if
that vocation is playing video games?
Meet Blake Peebles, a 16-year-old from Raleigh, North
Carolina who is one of the best Guitar Hero players in the country—meaning, he
has a rare talent for pressing buttons on a toy guitar hooked up to a TV
screen. Last September, Blake’s parents finally gave in to his repeated
requests to drop out of high school and focus on what he loves. Now, instead of
attending high school, Blake studies with a private tutor—and puts in long
hours with his Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox.
But this is not all fun and games. Blakes hopes to
turn his gaming abilities into a lucrative career. Players signed by Major
League Gaming (no, I'm not making this up) earn as
much as $80,000 a year competing in tournaments.
So far, Blake has won around $1,000—but that money came in
the form of gift certificates, gaming equipment, and Chick Fil-A combo meals.
He hopes to start bringing in some actual cash after his father takes him to the U.S. regionals
of the World Cyber Games.
Concerned family and friends have been quick to condemn the Peebles' decision. But Blake's parents have watched his work ethic and grades improve
under a private tutor, and most importantly, they say that Blake is now happy. “I wasn’t really
good at anything else that I liked,” he says. Still, the fact remains that being good at Guitar Hero
means staying up till 4 a.m. staring at a TV screen.
Do you think the Peebles should have forced Blake to remain in school? Or were they right to trust their son to know what was best for him?
Photo: The News and Observer/Corey Lowenstein
