How do 30+ year old players manage to still be in the competitive scene?

I can understand that a someone in high school or college. But after that, how can they have time to practice. Personally, i have a job, I exercise an have my girlfriend. My day starts 6:30 AM an ends 11PM . On weekends I have more time. I have trouble understanding how players that are older can manage to have time to play! Lets look at Infiltration. He had 2 great years that he made a lot of money. The other years though, he could have work someone else and make more money there. Lets not even talk about Justin Wong, he made in the last 10 years what a professional can make in ONE year. How do they live? Do they have other jobs? When do they practice?

Stop making us 30+ feel bad, nephew…

Time Management

haha! Actually is not with the purpose of feeling bad that I am asking this question. It is because I actually want to know how they do it! I would love to be able to do everything I do plus play SF competitively! haha. So I guess this question helps everyone of us that actually more responsibilities than usual! uncle!

Actually you’re missing a very important factor, these players are not only paid for tournaments. They are paid for just GOING. Their only income is not just tournament winnings. They are also paid for wearing their sponsors gear, putting ads on streams, etc etc. So literally playing is their job. Players of lesser caliber do sometimes have 9-5 jobs or they make enough via Twitch/Youtube that those can be considered their 9-5s.

I did not know that! Do you know how much Justin Wong makes apart from tournament winnings?

There’s also the fact that Justin, PR Rog, and FChamp all have full-time jobs outside of the FGC. They’re still able to find a way to balance things out, so I’m sure you can as well.

Justin has a full time job outside of being a competitor afaik.

Like Shadow Ace said, it’s all about how you manage your time. I’m in the same boat, I’d love to play competitively, and I practice when I can, but having a full-time job, and a wife, and a little boy, my time is pretty much DP’ed in the balls. Only have about two hours in the evening to practice during the week, and I don’t always get that every night. I plan on trying to maintain a steady practice schedule after Juri comes out, and it’s all about making what little time I do have quality enough to mean something. This means at least an hour in the lab, and then an hour or less in ranked online. It ain’t no Daigo routine, but at least it’s something. I’d imagine your situation is similar and thought I’d share my plan to give you an idea. Take it for what it’s worth. -M

If you find something you like, you ALWAYS find time to do it. The excuse of “I have a life” is poor a one. Since it’s been debunked over and over again. Management, some people can’t manage their time as well as others. Well that’s on them then.

Having a full time job doesn’t take up to much time, especially if you leave the job at work (aren’t on call to answer phone and stuff all the time)

The place where you will lose LOTS of time is when you have kids or get married. If you are married with children THEN it becomes very hard to find enough time to play.

Otherwise I used to work from 6:30 a.m. To 3 pm with a half hour lunch.

So with no kids and wife I had from 3 till around 9 worth of free time which is plenty enough time to play some good streetfighter and combine that with all day on the weekends where I could easily game for 10+ hours and it was pretty easy to get in 40 hours a week or so.

But that’s assuming no girlfriend or wife/family.

Having a girlfriend/wife that isn’t into games will make it very hard to get that 40 hours a week. Kinda lucky to get 20-30 depending on your situation.

Once you have kids it gets even worse as you now have to have time for the kids as well.

But once you have wife and kids your game time can get as small as a very cramped 1-2 hours a day. Not enough to be tournie competitive but enough to be online competent.

Triforce

I have a feeling this thread is gonna be HUGE.

I am 32 and run my own business and have plenty of time to play sf. Sounds like the real problem is your time management skills fucking suck.

Anabolic steroids with a side of amphetamines.

Cut your girlfriend loose, then u will have substansial more time.

People with careers are the ones whom have lost at life. Work should never take a significant portion of your life. I am not in the US, but a lot of their work culture sucks ass. Once my day is over it is done with no off the clock bullshit after hours.

The goal in life should be less work.

All work and no play makes me a dull person.

Don’t have a wife and kids but work full time. Aint nothin getting in the way of SF time.

Women, work and especially kids will kill a lot of your time to game, unless you’re a shitty dad.

I could squeeze in more time back when I was just dating chicks, but a kid changes your free time.