Ready to play pro? Five questions for aspiring players

Pursuing a career as a professional player, whether in esports or traditional sports, is a dream for many young ones. However, public eye sees only the success stories and victories, while the ones failing won’t be asked to share their stories.

Path to become a pro requires more than just talent and passion. It demands dedication, resilience, strategic planning and in many cases, luck.

After being part of multiple careers, both successes and failures, I’m safe to say that even the most defined plans in esports tend to change along the way, but having fundamental understanding of your situation helps to navigate these moments.

Framework to use when deciding whether to pursue careers as pro player

If you our your close one is considering this exciting yet challenging journey, ask these five critical questions and evaluate honestly.

1. Why do I want to become a professional player?

Deciding to become a professional player is a life-altering choice that requires deep self-reflection and honesty about your motivations.

Understanding your motivation

Start by asking yourself some introspective questions. Are you drawn to the game because you genuinely love it, or are there other factors at play, such as the allure of fame, success, or financial gain? While external rewards can be motivating, a deep, intrinsic love for the game is essential for long-term success and resilience.

For many young players, the outside pressure from both parents and peers can be high but cannot act as the key driver for pursuing a professional career.

You might have noticed that most of the elite players when asked what brought them to their success, is the love for the game. When your motivation is not tied to external metrics (salary, followers, trophies), your resilience and motivation are more stable.

Hobby vs. profession

It’s also important to distinguish between enjoying a game as a hobby and committing to it as a profession. Professional play often transforms the nature of the game, turning it into something that requires discipline, constant learning, and 24/7 competition.

Ensure that your desire to pursue this path isn't solely based on a romanticized view of the profession.

Consider your ambition and what you aim to achieve in your career. Are you striving to reach the top of competitive play, to be recognized as one of the best, or to use your platform to influence and inspire others?

Ready for war

Understanding why you want to become a professional player is the first step in a long and challenging journey. This self-awareness will be a guiding light, helping you stay focused and motivated, especially when faced with guaranteed challenges and setbacks.

This journey will test your commitment and passion, but with a clear understanding of your 'why,' you can navigate the path with conviction and purpose.

2. Do I know what it takes and am I prepared to do it?

Mastering a skill doesn't happen overnight, especially in a field as competitive as esports. Many experts suggest that excelling in a craft can take approximately 10,000 hours of practice.

Though this figure is not an absolute rule for everyone, success in esports undoubtedly demands a significant investment of time, often exceeding that in many other professions.

How to do it?

Committing the hours is just the beginning; it introduces the classic challenge of quantity versus quality. Ensuring that these extensive hours are of high quality is crucial, as this is what truly leads to tangible skill development and improvement.

In today's digital age, a wealth of resources is available online, offering insights into the routines of elite players. Platforms like YouTube are filled with valuable information.

Additionally, engaging in community forums or directly reaching out to experienced players can be the key to understand how to do it. Don’t hesitate to ask seasoned players about their successes and mistakes. Their experiences can guide you in effectively utilizing your hours to build a career as a professional.

Importantly, joining a team with proper coaching and support staff can significantly aid in creating a structured development plan and schedule.

Ready, set, go

Pursuing a career as a professional player often means adopting a lifestyle that revolves around the game. This can involve long hours of practice, sacrificing social and leisure activities, and sometimes relocating to join a team or training facility.

Are you ready to embrace these lifestyle changes and sacrifices? Be honest to yourself and the answer should be clear in your mind.

3. How will I balance education and road to professional player?

Depending on where you live, you might be legally required to attend school until certain age (looking at you Finland through the lens of certain 17-year-old Counter-Strike player…). Until that age this question is crucial and even after, still recommended to evaluate.

Unfortunately, we do not have esports academies such as in football that are created for purpose of balancing school and professional playing career. Until those unfold, every player and their families are responsible to create environment where player can fit school and playing career together.

This balance is not only essential for personal development but also for ensuring a well-rounded and sustainable career, regardless of the outcome of your playing journey.

The importance of education

Pursuing a career as a professional player is thrilling, yet education remains a fundamental aspect of your development.

If you are through the first two questions, you might ask if you need school at all, and in 99% of the cases, the answer is yes you do.

Education serves as more than just a safety net; it enriches your worldview, hones critical thinking skills, and provides essential knowledge (e.g. social and language) that can also be beneficial during your playing career.

Bonus: Often the longest friendships - that serve as important wellbeing aspect also for professional players - are built in school.

Mastering time management

Effective time management is key in juggling education and the game. It involves prioritizing and allocating time wisely between studies and training.

Establishing a well-organized routine can help manage these dual responsibilities efficiently, reducing stress and enhancing performance in both arenas.

Seeking flexible learning options

In today's online-era multiple schools have adapted remote learnings as part of their offering. Try to be strategic and explore your options when choosing school and your playing team that can fit together as long as possible.

Some institutions can also accommodate the schedules of players. These alternatives allow you to maintain your training and competition commitments without compromising your educational pursuits.

Pro tip: Communicating openly with your school about your playing commitments usually helps to facilitate an environment that supports both your academic and sporting goals.

4. When should I turn pro?

Deciding when to turn professional is a pivotal moment in any player's journey. It's not just a matter of money and skill level; several other factors play a crucial role in this decision.

While the prospect of turning professional is exhilarating, it's crucial to navigate this decision with a blend of passion and pragmatism.

First offer to become a pro is not always the best one

Congratulations, you have been offered a professional contract as player. Let’s sign and play, right? Not quite.

While it’s exciting to receive your first offer, that doesn't mean you have to accept it. Depending on your skill and achievement trajectory, it can be smart to evaluate what would signing mean.

What current income sources would you have to sacrifice to play as professional? Are you able to return to these if and when the playing career ends?

Is there a realistic chance to receive more favourable offer to come if you decline? Are the coach and teammates the right ones for this stage of the career? Are the commercial terms at the level you should receive?

Financial considerations

Turning pro often means solely relying on your game for income.

Consider whether you have potential financial stability in this path. This includes evaluating your current level of income, expected (honest!) future earnings and financial safety net in terms of savings or support from close ones.

Understand the difference between gross and net income. Evaluate if the math works out for you to sustainably play as a professional.

Taking a gamble and paying from own pocket at the start of career is highly usual in golf and tennis, but always consider the whole picture when calculating how much you earn and would need to spend as a professional.

Talking to family, closed ones or advisor is highly recommended to navigate especially early career financial decisions wisely.

Seeing beyond the first contract

Understand the whole financial picture. It's not only can you pay next month's rent and foods, but what would playing professionally mean for you financial wellbeing in longer term?

Roughly 16% of retired NFL players end up bankrupt within 12 years of their career - with close to 1 million per year average earnings while playing.

Consider exploring additional income streams like endorsements or social media platforms to diversify your earnings and secure financial stability even after your playing career.

Be honest to your skill level. Are you consistently performing at or above the level of current professionals in your game? Are you still on growth path or has your development plateaued? Is the offered contract one-off by lucky timing or one of many to follow?

Especially in esports, understanding the current state of the game and the team you're entering is crucial. Research the organization (e.g. talk to their current and former players), the health of the professional leagues and tournaments, sponsorship climates, and long-term prospects.

Be careful when hearing lucrative promises even from the biggest organizations in the space.

It’s vital to plan for your financial future beyond your playing years, including working opportunities, savings, and investment strategies. Remember, it's not just about sustaining yourself now, but also about building a secure financial future.

Support systems

Support systems should already be on your mind when considering the second question, but the closer you are to start as a pro, the importance of support increases by magnitudes.

Your support network should include other players, coaches, family, friends, and possibly agents or managers.

Ensure you have access to the necessary guidance and support to navigate the professional landscape. Once you enter the world of professional competition, each day thousands are competing to get your spot while fans might try to influence the team management to cut you from day 1.

Are you mentally and emotionally prepared for the demands of a professional career, including the pressures, lifestyle changes, and public scrutiny?

Because it’s not possible to mentally prepare for situation professional players face beforehand, importance of supporting network is crucial to have in place beforehand.

Educational commitments and Plan B

If you're still in the midst of education, weigh the implications of turning pro on your academic pursuits. Can you balance both, or would turning pro require putting education on hold?

As discussed earlier, finding the right balance between education and professional commitments can open doors to diverse opportunities, both within and beyond your playing career.

Alongside your sports career, it's wise to develop a Plan B, at least mentally. This means exploring alternative career paths or skills that could offer stability if your playing journey shifts unexpectedly.

While you must give all your efforts to realize your fullest potential as a player, having back-up plan prepared is advised.

If you know that even if the playing career ends, you will be ok, that feeling of safety could free your mental space to make the Plan B useless. While we as humans are usually fight or flight animals when facing uncertainty, you can fight even with Plan B in your back pocket.

Personal commitments

Would you be required to move away from your current home? How would this shape relationships with your family and friends?

As already mentioned in the third question, relationships outside the game are crucial for mental wellbeing.

Having option (and using it!) to disconnect from playing with close ones is what allows you to recover and maintain your best level when returning back to training and playing.

Striking a balance between your professional and personal life is key, not just for your performance, but for your overall mental health and happiness.

Congratulations, but be careful!

While the decision to turn pro is more complex than it might look at surface, it’s also an exciting step towards fulfilling your dreams. Approach it with thorough preparation and informed choices and let your passion and hard work guide you to success.

5. What if (and when) something goes wrong?

As discussed earlier, success in ultra-competitive esports is not a guaranteed even if you try to optimize everything. For every professional player, there are tens of thousands who have dropped along the way, both voluntarily and by force.

Given the intense competition and high stakes involved, preparing for various outcomes is as important as striving for success.

Accepting the realities

Recognize that not every player makes it to the professional level, and even those who do may encounter unforeseen sudden challenges.

Injuries, meta changes, or shifts in the economic outlook of the game can happen unexpectedly, altering your career path overnight.

Accepting these risks as part of the journey is essential. While usually you have to give your everything to achieve the top of the world, it's important to have a strategy for facing potential setbacks.

Recognizing when it’s time to give up

While resilience is essential, it’s equally important to recognize when persistent efforts may no longer be beneficial. Understanding when to pivot or step back can be crucial for your long-term well-being and success in life.

Regularly evaluate if you are still progressing and if your pursuit is still bringing you satisfaction. Be open to feedback from trusted coaches, teammates, and other close ones. Sometimes, an outside perspective can provide clarity on your situation. If your pursuit is taking a toll on your mental or physical health, it might be time to reconsider your path.

While facing the tough reality, remember that each challenge is a stepping stone towards greater resilience and understanding of your own capabilities.

Take the good things and learn from the bad ones when moving forward

While facing the fact when the career is over can feel like end of the world, in most cases there is silver lining to be found from the time and effort invested to become a professional.

Reflect on how your journey in competing has honed valuable skills like resilience and teamwork, which are highly sought after in many other fields. Remember, the lessons learned from setbacks are just as valuable as the triumphs.

Every career, regardless of the amateur/pro status, has its ups and downs. Try to reflect on these already during the career and always be ready to learn new ways of thinking and working (applies to all of us!).

It does not have to be content creation or coaching

Planning for post-career life should already start before the career even begins, but it's not one or two players who have faced the amount of free time as a surprise and had no idea what to do when playing is over.

While content creation or coaching are natural transitions, don't limit yourself.

Explore diverse interests and consider how your unique skill set can apply to different careers. What are you interested in? What are (or want to become) you good at?

Having playing career in your resume is guaranteed interest point when applying for other jobs and can create opportunities outside your imagination.

When one door closes, next one opens

Embrace change as an opportunity for growth. The end of a playing career can be the start of an equally rewarding journey in a new field.

Every end is a new beginning, and the skills and experiences you've gained are stepping stones to your next great adventure.

Closing words

While it’s important to plan and prepare for different outcomes, career as a professional player is one of the most uncertain possible.

Gathering information, talking to wide network of people, and understanding the realities are the first steps for building a foundation for your career.

Once the foundation is in place, starts the hard work. Well-planned is only half done.

Get the thousands of hours in and remember to evaluate these questions along the way. And most importantly, enjoy the ride.

Ps. This is the first insight of hopefully many to follow.

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Suggestions for topics to address are welcomed with open arms.