Yugi-Parent Spotlight: Michael Jacobs
Link to full profile: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=16009
Michael Jacobs is a local resident brand new to the Yu-Gi-Oh! scene. He found out about the YCS in Atlanta while browsing the official Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME website, and decided to bring his two sons, Sidney and Max, to enjoy the YCS experience. Mr. Jacobs is glad that he did.
Both of Mr. Jacobs’s sons participated in the YCS Atlanta Dragon Duel tournament. Sidney just started playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME a couple of months ago, and managed to finish the Dragon Duels tournament with an impressive 3-1 record and Top 4 finish. Mr. Jacobs had a lot to say about his son Sidney’s hobby.
“This is his passion. He doesn’t like playing sports or going to baseball games. He loves this stuff.”
Mr. Jacobs said that his 12-year-old son Sidney has a group of friends in middle school that he Duels against in the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, and he’s happy to support the hobby that his son is so passionate about. Mr. Jacobs likes what the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME offers to his son.
“He has to use his brain to play. It’s intellectual – you have to use strategy – but it’s also interactive.”
Mr. Jacobs likes that his son is interacting with other live people while playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME. Even though Sidney lost in the final round of the Dragon Duel tournament, he kept his spirits high and was an exceptionally good sport.
“The real world is all about dealing with other people, and there are lots of life lessons that Sid’s learning here by playing against other people.”
Yugi-Parent Spotlight: Alison Leverett
Link to full profile: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=12179
Alison Leverett is the mother of 2 well-known Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Duelists: Zachary Leverett and Benjamin Leverett. Benjamin Leverett participated in the 2012 World Championship in Tokyo, Japan, and Benjamin Leverett has recently been very successful in Dragon Duel tournaments. Alison has brought Zachary and Benjamin to at least 20 YCS events in total.
We sat down with Alison Leverett to see what motivates her to bring her kids to these events, and how she feels about the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME. Alison had a lot of positive things to say. Here’s why Alison encourages her kids to play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG:
“I do it because I think it’s an awesome game. I like the strategy, the math, and the sportsmanship. It has also given us incentive to travel around the United States. We even went to Barcelona, and Ben won a high profile prize card there.”
Alison likes the impact that the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG has had on her kids’ lives as well.
“I like what it has done for my kids socially. They’ve made a lot of friends from around the United States who they Skype with. I like that it gives my kids a feeling of a group they belong to. Through Yu-Gi-Oh!, they meet people that they have a lot in common with. Plus, it keeps them busy during the week – even when they’re not at a tournament – because they’re always test playing or Deck building.”
Alison told us her kids have learned a lot from Yu-Gi-Oh!, too.
“They learned a lot of life lessons, like ‘watch your stuff.’ They’ve learned different strengths that they both have. For example, Ben is an awesome Deck builder. Yu-Gi-Oh! has given them a lot of confidence by showing them that they’re both good at something.”
Alison also believes that the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card game has had a positive impact on other people’s lives.
To me, it’s neat to watch a lot of teenage boys who – if they weren’t doing this – who knows what they would be doing.”
Yugi-Parent Spotlight: Eve Riskin
Link to full spotlight: https://yugiohblog.konami.com/?p=11883
The Dragon Duel division gives younger Duelists their own arena for tournament competition. As the division grows, parents are becoming the unsung heroes of many a YCS! Plenty of Dragon Duelists have chalked up stellar accomplishments over the past few years, but behind every Dragon Duel winner stands a supportive mom, dad, or guardian that’s helping them grow – not just as a competitor, but as a person, too.
We talked to Eve Riskin about her experiences of being a ‘Yugi-mom’. Her twelve year-old son Aden Garrabrant has been a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan for ages, but he started taking the game more seriously about two and a half years ago. His mother’s been an integral part of his growth as a competitor. We asked Eve what kind of impact she felt Yu-Gi-Oh! was having on her son.
“It gives him something to do that doesn’t involve a screen…Being one of the youngest competitors at his locals, Aden’s learning to deal with a wide range of people. He’s learning to assert himself, while still carrying himself with alot of respect for his fellow players. He’s learning how to work a room too, and how to arrange deals between people. I think it’s helping his math skills, too”
“It’s helping him learn to be a good sport, teaching about winning and losing…I think it’s important to be able to go through life and be happy even during the times you’re not winning. There’s a tremendous emphasis on competition these days, in all parts of life, but the reality is that you can’t win all the time. So it’s important to get through those periods and appreciate when you ARE winning.”
With a balanced interest in both trading and on-table competition, Aden’s traveled to YCS’s and WCQ’s; achieved substantial tournament success; and cultivated a level of dedication to local events that’s unparalleled even by most Duelists twice his age. He has his mother to thank for that; without her support, none of it would have been possible. Yugi-parents like Eve Riskin are an integral part of the game, helping usher in the next generation of Dueling legends.
