Become a Better Gamer Part 3: Preparing for Tournaments

Gaming tournament ready
photo by stockimages

Finally you are where you want to be. After spending countless hours on single-player-games and multiple-player-games with friends at home and foes on the internet, you’ve got your big-boy-pants on and are ready to roll with the big boys.

But no matter how good you have become or how ready you think you are, bad preparation can hamper your progress during a tournament. This is why I have prepared a list for you which will help you prepare the way you should.

Rest

Make sure you are well rested the night before the tournament. Kick your friends out of your apartment early and get some good night sleep. Make sure you turn off your mobile phone.

Throw away the books, friends and everything else before a gaming tournament and rest.
photo by Ambro

Breakfast

Have a heavy, healthy, and late breakfast to get energy levels up and push you longer through the day. Stack up on protein with eggs, milk or whatever you can get your hands on.

What to Carry

Always carry enough food and water. Do not pack your bag with soda or cola, these will cause you to get agitated during tense moments. Instead carry lots of water and fresh
Take an energy drink with you in case your energy levels start to fall.
A banana is always good for calming nerves, carry a few.
Carry extra clothes and deodorant, the long hours are sure to get you sweating. Unfortunately unlike in the animal kingdom, strong scent actually repels the opposite gender instead of attracting them.
Carry an extra controller/joystick because you never know.

Arrive on Time

Arrive on time and scout the premises so you can get familiar with the surroundings. This creates a psychological comfort zone. Talk to people and share their experiences. This will humanise them and make you less nervous when you have to go against them.

A video game master always arrives on time photo by stockimages

Stretch

Before and after a game session stretch your whole body but also most importantly do some finger and wrist stretching that I discussed in the second part of this trilogy.

Have Fun

This is the most important of all aspects. Winning the tournament would be great. But knowing you gave it your best and had a blast is priceless. You will carry on the feeling and will be counting the days before the next tournament comes along.