One more time, repeat after me: It’s okay to be a casual. Regardless of whether you’re specifically into video games and dance like I am, I’m telling you that you can enjoy your interests in whatever way you like. Even if there’s a culture of competition in that activity, you don’t have to be “hardcore” to have fun as a part of that community.
That being said, the longevity of any such activity is greatly increased by opportunities to participate in competition at all skill levels. The thoughts in this post end up focusing on breaking, but the ideas should be applicable to any competitive discipline.
Over my years of participation in various sports, video games, and breaking, I’ve experienced the challenge of balancing my time while still fulfilling my competitive goals. Most traditional sports are developed enough to handle this issue, and eSports are somewhat there. Breaking, on the other hand, has a ways to go.
Traditional sports
The most popular sports, like basketball, football (soccer), and American football have established support systems for players of all ages and levels. Sure, it might be daunting to get into a pickup game for the first time with the local gym regulars. But even if you can’t hang at that skill level, no one is going to think less of you.
There are enough competitive events to suit a wide range of preferences and skill. When I was into table tennis during middle school, I was just as happy playing at low rating tournaments as the top dogs were playing at their level. The most important factor to me was being able to compete against my equals and gradually work my way up. And again, nobody was making me feel bad for not devoting my life to the sport.
The verdict: In traditional sports, it’s okay to be a casual, and there are plenty of opportunities to do so.
eSports
Competitive gaming is looking more and more like conventional sports as audiences grow, more funds flow in, and the infrastructure continues to develop. One of video games’ key advantages is their accessibility. All you really need is a PC/console and an internet connection, then boom — you’re spraying lead or swinging swords at people from all around the world.
However, in ranked ladders of online multiplayer games, there seems to be a negative stigma towards players who are of lower ranks or seem to be less skilled. In team-based games like League of Legends or Overwatch, one’s failures can easily be blamed on others. Harsh treatment is also enabled by the anonymity that the internet affords.
Theoretically, ranking or rating systems in multiplayer games facilitate fair, competitive matches. But when high rankings and opportunities to play with the best worldwide are technically obtainable by anyone, many players become dissatisfied with playing at their current skill level.
There are regular amateur events for many games, but they aren’t as well developed as in traditional sports. I do expect this to improve in the future due to the trickling down of interest and investment from professional eSports.
The verdict: In video games/eSports, it’s okay to be casual, and online ranked ladders allow for casual competition. However, the ranked environment is often toxic.
Breaking
On one hand, the breaking community has an emphasis on unity, with teachers and experienced dancers who are fantastic at helping others get into breaking. On the other hand, there is absolutely no mechanism to ease these beginners into the competitive aspect of the dance. Most events have no skill-based restrictions, instead relying on an open pre-selection format to pick out the best breakers for a Top 8/16/32 bracket. This means that most participants literally get one chance to dance on stage in the entirety of the event.
The other, oft suggested option is to hit the cyphers (smaller, informal circles that are not part of formal competition) to gain experience. Cyphers are unregulated, so a dancer can enter the circle as many times as they want. This is a decent training environment, but the only competitive opportunity is through calling out another dancer, which is somewhat inefficient. Beginners shouldn’t be forced to call others out just to get a battle.
These combined factors subconsciously create a negative attitude toward beginners and less skilled breakers in the competitive setting. The judges, promoters, advanced breakers, and even the beginners themselves may feel like their single battle is waste of time, knowing that it’s virtually impossible to pass pre-selection. Even cyphers can become awkward if the other breakers don’t feel that the beginner is contributing to the conversation.
The verdict: In breaking, it’s okay to be a casual if you’re just starting out, but entering the competitive scene is a trial by fire that may not suit casually competitive participants.
What needs to be done?
The path is clear: healthy competition requires opportunities to compete at all skill levels. That includes the professional and open events that the sports, eSports, and breaking already have. However, only breaking lacks widespread systems for casual and amateur competition. I do see the occasional youth league or event on social media, but these only cover one subset of the casual crowd.
Breaks U is one organization that aims to expand the base of breakers and breaking fans by supporting b-boys/b-girls in their pursuit of academic achievement and artistic expression. As a former college b-boy myself, I’m excited to see the development of the collegiate breaking scene, and whether it’ll be similar to that of collegiate eSports.
Anyone in the area this weekend should check out the MIT Intercollegiate Jam as an example of a more casually competitive breaking event. The “team-based breaking games” are a new idea that could be quite fun.
There’s also Battle for Boston on November 11th at Harvard University. The 4v4 collegiate battle is the main event and should be a blast. It’s also a qualifier for the Breaks U event, which will happen in Spring 2018.
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or feedback. Follow me on Instagram @glissando for the latest updates, and please share to spread the knowledge. Thanks for reading — peace!
