On this episode of “Listen in With KNN,” a sports talk radio show and podcast presented by Fox Sports Radio 1340 AM/96.9 FM, executive producer and host Kelsey Nicole Nelson welcomed special guests Dr. Gigi Hamilton and Kendall Hamilton to the show.
Dr. Gigi Hamilton is an organizational psychologist who helps people find balance in their mental health. She’s also a keynote speaker and transformational trainer, empowering women leaders and entrepreneurs.
Kendall Hamilton, her son, is an esports performance and wellness coach who hit stardom in esports at an early age. After overcoming the odds, he shares his special gifts and talents with others. He’s also the founder of The Game Changer Academy.
Kendall was introduced to esports at the start of middle school. In high school, Kendall’s drive for esports propelled and played the biggest part of his life. During sophomore year, he earned money playing video games, as he got really good at the games and began winning. He once won $1,500 in cash prizes from playing video games. By the time he got to senior year, he was in the Top 100 globally at Rocket League and had an esports internship.
Little did anyone know Kendall was struggling mentally; it even affected his grades. “I had multiple meetings with my counselor and my mom,” he said about his junior year. “They gave me hard talks like, ‘We know you can do better, so why do your grades look like this?’ Every subject you think I would thrive in, it was not me at that time.”
Nelson asked him about his mental health during that time, specifically how he knew what he was feeling wasn’t normal. Kendall said he initially didn’t want to be in the same profession as Dr. Hamilton. But looking back, he saw how his mental stage in high school affected him. He struggled during his first year but improved at the start of his sophomore year.
“I was able to focus on my homework, I had a good amount of friends, I was playing soccer. Everything seemed like it was going in my favor,” he said. “Then that year got cut short because of COVID, which started in March.”
Instead of in-person classes and hanging out with friends, he was isolated from the outside world and attended Zoom lectures. He played video games as an escape, but he wasn’t truly happy. Even when he received scholarships and a 6-figure contract to play esports professionally, he turned them all down.
“If one were to take my video games within the past three years of me feeling like I was rotting, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself,” Kendall said. “That’s what it felt like, I had no purpose.”
Nelson asked Dr. Hamilton her perspective when Kendall opened up about his struggles to her. She said when Kendall first told her he didn’t want to go to college, she said it was the hardest conversation. She wanted him to go the traditional route of going to college and getting a job. But she was patient enough to let Kendall grow and understand he didn’t want that.
“I never tried to be Kendall’s therapist,” she said. “I actually had you [Kendall] go see your own therapist because I believe everybody needs some coach time. I set him up while he didn’t have anything going on in his life so that when he did need it, he would have that relationship.”
She told Kendall to meet her at a soccer field he grew up on and talk further. From there, he told her about why he didn’t want to go to college, his mental health declining, him having depression, and not having any purpose in life. Eventually, they made a deal — Kendall could take a gap year from college, but he would be completely responsible for figuring out what he wanted to do.
“That meant joining multiple internships, finding jobs, working for her for some time, meeting new people, or going to events and conferences,” he said. “I did all of that, I did it all, and I ended up finding what I want to do.”
Dr. Hamilton advises parents to stay involved in their children’s lives and give them space simultaneously. Also, make sure to hear them, see them, and meet them where they are. It’s a hard balance, but the results are worth it.
“It’s an amazing journey to watch and be a part of,” she said. “I’m so proud of him, just to know that he’s still growing.”
In addition to performance coaching and advocacy work, Kendall speaks at middle schools, high schools and conferences. He and Dr. Hamilton are looking for opportunities, even a NIL deal that goes beyond esports and into mental health coaching and advocacy.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify.
