For some, video gaming is a hobby or even an activity used to pass the time -but that is not the case for 19-year-old Alec Afflick, who wants to have a career in video gaming.

Choosing a career path can be a tedious tasks for many young people as they seek to transition into adulthood.

Why? Because they often find it hard to discover their passions or turn what they love into a source of income.

Though not a traditional career option, Afflick knew from a young age that a career in video games was what he desired.

It all started when he saw Rocket League, a vehicular soccer video game advertised on television that sparked his interest.

“At the time I couldn’t play [Rocket League] because it wasn’t free to play. You had to pay about US$20 at the time for it and I couldn’t do that, so I just watched it,” said Afflick.

After a three-year wait, he was finally able to purchase the game in 2019, jumpstarting his career as a professional gamer.

“Before I even purchased the game, I said, ‘If I do get this game, I am going to be the best or I’m going to be a professional player’. So, from I started out I had a goal in mind,” he told Our Today.

It was this belief, along with his competitive nature, that drove Afflick, who practised whenever he could to be better than he was in his last match.

Rocket League gave him his first Esports title, allowing him to play on the international scene before he played regionally or even locally.

“I’ve made so many friends and connections and that’s the main reason I love video games. Because, no matter how different you are, you all have that one common ground that you can all relate to.”

When he made it to the top of the leader board for Rocket League in Jamaica in 2020, he was scouted by the Jamaica Esports Initiative (JEI).

Though the youngest on the team at 19 years old, Afflick’s professionalism and attention to detail rewarded him with captain status for the Dr Birdz.

He was able to play against three Caribbean countries with his team, winning every match. The team also competed in the 2022 Commonwealth Esports Championship in Birmingham, England, an international event.

Video games a million-dollar market

When asked why he chose video games as a career path, Afflick shared that it was because he had a never-ending love for video games.

After discovering there were opportunities to make money and play, it was a no-brainer for the young gamer.

“There is a career in video games. There are people making millions of dollars from this. There is a 16-year-old on a Rocket League team that gets paid about US$20,000 a month just to be on the team and compete for them,” he explained.

There was also another 16-year-old who won US$1 million in a Fortnite competition, he told Our Today. Afflick and his team also won J$150,000 for a tournament earlier this year, put on by the JEI.

As it is not recognised by most as a career path, Afflick says people cannot be blamed for seeing video games as a waste of time.

“They are just going based off what they know or have heard. It is normally seen as a waste of time, but I think the tournaments really open a lot of individuals’ eyes,” said Afflick.

He added that social media also provides a source of income for gamers who get paid millions for content posted on YouTube or streaming.

Resources needed to foster nontraditional careers

Often, when people think of a career option, they tend to think along the traditional route. As such, careers as doctors, lawyers or entrepreneurs are sought after.

But Afflick believes that there should be opportunities for people to venture into untraditional waters.

“The more career options, the more chances for other people to succeed.”

He added that Esports also give people who are physically challenged an opportunity to live out their dreams of playing football virtually.

“It gives people a wider range of stuff that they can be successful in, so it helps because we are all different and we can all excel at different things,” said Afflick.

“Having more nontraditional career options gives a chance for everybody to show off their skill level and their abilities, which I think is really useful and an amazing thing to do.”

To ensure he lands his dream job, Afflick is currently working on growing his social media presence on his Instagram account (@white_hawk29) and individual skills to attract brand deals and sponsorships.