A High Schooler's perspective on competitive pinball

On November 20th 2021, my dad took me to my first competitive pinball tournament, I was 15 at the time. We had heard of these tournaments for a while but had no idea how to get into one. Anyways I entered it, and I was actually doing alright. I actually felt pretty horrible for my dad as neither of us realized this would be a full day ordeal. Much to my surprise (About six hours later) I took home a third place win and a wad full of cash which just about blew my mind! I couldn't wait to spend what I won on the next tournament, and sure enough in a few weeks another rolled around (No pun intended).

I didn't do quite so well.

Not that I did horrible but it was far from a third place win for sure. Anyways that didn't matter, with the help of my mom, I was entering tournaments every Tuesday night at my local arcade and having a blast doing so. The people are always more than kind, and I adored the relative informality a lot have when it comes to games there. One of the guys there always gives me tips for my next ball, sometimes we even talk mid-game about whatever makes it great.

It felt great winning on some games, and just as valuable understanding why I was losing on others. At the end of the tournament I'd make it home at around midnight and realize I'd have a test in school the next morning. Then again it was the next morning, and my English teacher probably wouldn't take a pinball tournament as a valid excuse, though I vividly remember trying once. 

I'm 17 now, approaching 18 this summer and about to go to college for electrical engineering (I want to be a pinball designer when I grow up!) so I probably won't have quite as much time for these tournaments, but they have been an absolutely essential part of my high school life. It's a strange and fascinating world I've found myself in but I'm incredibly excited to find out what's next.