Hey everyone! Exciting times are here as Apex is around the corner. Perhaps, you took a leap of faith to save up money to travel to your first large national tournament. Here are a few tips to enjoy your experience

1.Get to meet new people

–          With the hotel being the same place as the venue, this is a golden opportunity to meet smashers from all across the globe. Fortunately, the community is very approachable and accommodating, so make your rounds to introducing yourself and playing some amazing games of Melee with people outside your region. During the night, there is no doubt that there will be many hotel rooms with open doors for you to meet and hang out with players

2. Play lots of friendlies

–          As long as the tournament permits, this is also a golden opportunity to play players from different regions. Each player carries a unique play style, so this will help you improve rapidly. Also, this would be a great time to play some of your favorite top players. There will be a 24 hour venue open to play friendlies throughout the course of the weekend.

3. Watch the top matches

–          One of the best experiences of a national is being a part of the audience when there is an exciting match or when it is time for the finals. Get a seat early with some of your friends and enjoy the high level play while you cheer and get hype with the rest of the audience. This is a whole new level of excitement compared to what you would see in your own home.

4. Have fun! Don’t sweat the results

–          Nationals is called “nationals” for a reason. There will be hundreds of top players who have been playing the game for years. Don’t sweat it if you lose early or get 4-stocked. Take it as an opportunity to learn as much as you can. Don’t forget to ask your opponents for advice after the tournament set is over.

5. Drink and Rest

–          Sometimes I like to think of Nationals as an extended sleepover with an awesome group of people. Don’t forget to get some rest and re hydrate. Also, wash your hands and keep good hygiene. The tournaments are a breeding ground for germs, so take some precautions. Lastly, shower up and deodorize! You don’t want to be known as the guy that smells like ____.

MIOM|Tafokints