During our first collegiate invitational we got to meet and work alongside the players, their coaches, and club leads. One player stood out to us due to his consistently constructive feedback and appreciation for what we were trying to accomplish for a game he loved.

This is the legend of Parker Hearn.

Parker was just 7 years old when he first started playing Super Smash Bros, starting with the 3rd iteration, Brawl. Little did he know the game he spent hours obsessing over would lead him to a social circle that would shape his educational and career pursuits.

Parker was introduced to chess at a very early age and recalls that as the start of his competitive nature. This was exacerbated when one of his middle school friends introduced him to a Youtube video, “The Smash Brothers: Documentary” and the competitive community of Super Smash Brothers.

Starting His Competitive Journey

Enamored by the story of Mew2King and his impact on the scene. Parker’s drive to compete and find local events in his area grew. Being just in his teens, travel was difficult as his only means of transportation is his mother. She was already working three jobs to ensure a future for her son. Parker was only allowed to enter local tournaments that were within a short drive of their house. Nonetheless, Parker’s passion for competition reached new heights.

Craving more events and access to a larger pool of talented players,  Parker had the idea of hosting his own events closer to his house in northern Houston. This way he could save his mother from the long drives and cultivate his own local group of skilled players.

Making a Name For Himself

At the early age of 13, Parker would solidify the name PK in the Houston Player Ranking boards and overnight become one of the youngest tournament organizers in Texas.

Sadly, progress towards his goal was slow at first. There was hesitation amongst the community to attend events being run by such a young player. However, PK is now revered in the Houston community and has been hosting events for the last 6 years. He’s 20 now and is the team captain and coach for the University of Houston’s Smash Club.

Preparing Himself For a Bright Future

His aspirations, for now, are to be the best Smash Coach in the entire college circuit. He’s doing an incredible job with multiple tournament wins and terrific statistics surrounding his players.

After his college career, he has set his sights on being an entrepreneur in the ecosystem of gaming and esports. His dedication is undeniable and PK is just one of the many incredible students that go unnoticed because their passions simply aren’t recognized or adopted just yet. We’re here to change that and we intend to continue building a relationship with such talented students.

Keep it up PK.