If you're considering a career as a professional esports athlete, you probably have your eye on top-tier tournaments like the, ESL, MLG Pro Circuit, and VALORANT Champions Tour. While there's no harm in dreaming big, it takes work to make it to the upper echelons of advanced esports. Admittedly, you'll plenty of pro gamers that have yet to graduate from middle school. However, these wunderkinds are the exception, rather than the rule. That being said, amateur leagues offer a lifeline to aspiring esports athletes. Now more accessible than ever before, they're the perfect proving ground for gamers to test their mettle.
Why Join an Amateur League?
If you want to become an established name in the esports sector, you'll need to build a profile. For some, it's as easy as building a sizable enough audience on streaming platforms like Twitch. Legendary players like Richard Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins and Michael 'Shroud' Grzesiek started out as streamers before becoming joining the rosters of Luminosity Gaming and Sentinels respectively. However, making it big as a streamer is no small feat. You'll need a good degree of skill to stand out from the crowd. What's more, you need to put in the hours to grow an audience organically and monetize your streaming content.
Nowadays, you won't struggle to find amateur leagues welcoming gamers playing at lower levels. In America, organizations like the Amateur Esports Association make it easy for entry-level gamers to gain a foothold in the industry. However, it's not always a straightforward process for lone wolves. Unless you're part of an established amateur roster, you'll need to cut your teeth in the queue list first.
For those lucky enough to be accepted to a readymade team and compete in an amateur league, the benefits are huge. You can get to grips with the mechanics of tournament play, while also learning what being one small cog in a larger machine feels like.
Why Amateur Leagues Aren't for Everyone
If you're confident in your abilities and regularly trounce the competition in friendly matches, playing in an amateur league can be a frustrating experience. As the bar is set pretty low when it comes to entry requirements, you'll often find yourself playing alongside and against gamers who don't pose much of a challenge. If you're looking to improve your abilities, a successive stream of easy wins can blunt your abilities, rather than sharpen them. What's more, you might struggle to keep your cool if your low-skilled teammates are consistently letting you down.
What's more, you generally won't find the same level of coaching and financial support in the amateur leagues. While sponsorship deals aren't unheard of, most amateur teams are going to have to foot the bill for hardware expenditure and other costs. This isn't a major issue if you're only competing in online tournaments. However, it can limit your options if you ever need to attend a live event in a different country.
Have you been checking out the Dota 2 live score and know you can do better? Amateur leagues can be a good way of learning behind-the-scenes basics, but you might be better off working on your own development, rather than propping up a fledgling roster of rookies.
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