[ENG] Happy Mother’s Day : FDMom Interview !
Today we’re celebrating Mother’s Day ! Well, in France at least, because we never do things like everyone else — for other countries, the celebration’s already passed. But nonetheless, we wanted to mark the date with a very special article.
You’ve probably already met her on Twitter or Twitch without realizing it… We’ve interviewed Aneke Monsçavoir, FDGod’s mom !
Many thanks to her for accepting to answer us with such generosity.
Being an esport player’s parent
What’s it like being the mother of a pro video game player?
I’m super hyped and proud, of course. Since the 2019 World Cup, I’m excited in front of every game FDGod plays. I hide behind my “anti-fear pillow” while my heart beats a thousand miles an hour. The Boston Uprising match during the May Mélée almost gave me a heart attack !
How do you explain it to other parents ?
I understand that the dream of being a “pro player” can seem really abstract to parents. For us too, it seemed pretty vague. It’s normal to be scared of the unknown, so it’s important to pay attention and try to understand before deciding anything.
Was it easy for you to decide Brice’s career path, like it might be for many parents ?
My first reaction was like many parents… I was very worried ! Even more since I work in the recruitment sector, so I know that the workforce is more and more selective.
There were lots of confrontations of ideas and passionate negotiations. Despite that, the communication was always there, we never closed off discussions.
With time, we all understood each other more. We understood this mysterious world of pro video games and Brice understood what we expected from him.
We made a deal : we’d give him 2 years after getting the BAC (the official end of high school diploma) to become a pro player. If it didn’t work out, he’d return to the traditional education system.
Beyond our wildest hopes, Brice managed to become a pro player only 6 months after his BAC. He got his Bac S in July and signed a contract with Paris Eternal in December. Now, he has all our trust.
Our decision to accept his choice also and mostly comes from Brice as a person. Brice is reliable, a try-harder with a healthy lifestyle, far from things like drugs, alcohol or tobacco. In general, if we give him our trust, it’s because he deserves it to start with. So to those who want to gain their parents’ trust, it’s pretty easy : “be a reliable and responsible person”. The trust will come from there without even needing to ask. It isn’t handed out, it’s earned.
How did you live your son’s selection in the 6 (French national team) and the French’s excitement about the team ?
We learned Brice’s selection in the 6 while we were in a mountain cottage during our vacation. Brice was alone at home, robbed of vacations to play the trial scrims for his selection in Team France. With his sister and his brother, we all toasted to his selection. It’s too bad that we weren’t with him, but our vacations were planned long before the scrim schedule.
For the French’s excitement around the whole thing, I didn’t expect anything. I was very surprised and proud of him, of course. But that’s also when I discovered the “haters” and the toxic tchat. I don’t see things through pink-tinted glasses either. Sadly, it’s like that in all sectors of life. That’s why being psychologically mature is an essential asset to become a pro player.
How do you handle the fact that he’s in the USA?
Far from his family, he’ll learn to know himself : his limits, his abilities, respecting commitments. He can only count himself and his good relationship with his teammates. There’ll be hard and frustrating days but they’ll make him even stronger.
Considering the fact that I work over 40h a week, like my husband, it’s not always easy to find a time that works for everyone… and that’s without the time difference. It means we don’t talk everyday. We keep contact through a messenger group, with video conferences from time to time. The Bazaroide shows from the great Zaro also give me a general view of his pro player life. A huge thank you to our national Zaroide :-) FDGod’s streams also take the edge off. Either I watch them live, or I watch the replays while ironing or cooking.
With the unexpected Covid-19 situation, we’re obviously very worried, but knowing that Brice is in the same apartment as Terrence (SoOn) reassures us a lot. SoOn seems very stable, calm and professional. He’s an ideal roommate to accompany our FD’s first steps. The Paris Eternal’s staff’s profiles and the other players reassure us a lot as well. I really think Paris Eternal is the best team for him to start his pro career. I regret the nice HyP’s departure but that’s the way things go. It was probably the best choice for him to make.
Being a Fan
How do you handle keeping a cool head with fans but also potential haters ?
Uh, to be honest… I haven’t kept a cool head ahahaha… I’m even more hyped than the most hyped up fans. I’m also really sad when I read non-constructive criticism about FD, but I don’t get involved in conversations. It’s the new generation’s world, with details I don’t know. I read, I listen, I talk to my husband and my other children about it… but that’s all. The most important for me is to know that Brice is doing okay.
What do you think about the French community ? Paris fans ?
I think French Overwatch players are lucky to have a huge community behind them. Paris fans are also lucky to have the Rooster Club. You guys are great!
However, like in every sport, I feel like fans change sides a little too easily after each game… but hey, it’s kind of like that in every sport. That’s a part of the video game environment. As long as it doesn’t go past the boundaries of respect, it’s all good. Speaking of respect, I hope the attitude towards women playing evolves. I see too many misogynistic attitudes on streams, especially my daughter’s, or more recently on Avalla’s stream. It’s really despicable .
Do you see a difference between FD’s fans when he’s with Paris or with Team France ?
No, not really, apart from the intensity of the support he received during the world cup.
What was your reaction when the homestands were cancelled?
Sad, mega sad… I know Brice loves the sensation of playing “off-line,” being physically in front of a public. He has an ability to absorb stress and transform it into positive adrenaline. I think he performs even better in front of an audience — and even more so in front of his audience.
I also regret the cancellation of the Paris homestands. The whole family had already prepared supporter gear to cheer on Paris Eternal and FDGod. I could already see myself going wild and yelling my head off in the Zenith de Paris. Well, that won’t happen this year, but I hope that the homestands will start back up next season.
Do you watch all the games, even when they’re at 1 AM? All alone, or does the rest of the family stay up as well?
I haven’t missed a single game of FDGod’s and Paris Eternal this season. Even at 3 AM, I do everything I can to watch them live. I always watch with his brother and his sister. Brice’s dad however thinks he jinxes the team, so he forces himself to not watch the games live, to avoid committing unforgivable damage ahaha…
How did you get the idea to make those fabulous pre-game edits ?
I’ve always liked visual editing. Almost all my friends are victims of it lol. So without thinking too much, I make those edits “vite fait”. It’s a way to show my support to FDGod and his team. Thankfully, I have a designated supermodel, Missy aka FDChat, our grandma cat, age 11. Now it makes me want to raise a beautiful rooster to make beautiful pictures… too bad they don’t give eggs!!
Others
What’s your favorite chicken-based meal ?
Have you ever heard of Lemper Ayam ? It’s a rice cake with coconut, filled with crumbled chicken pieces, flavored with coconut milk and coriander seeds with citronelle. It’s an indonesian specialty my French friends love, and it’s one of the meals FDGod loves ! 😊
Where do you think Paris Eternal will rank at the end of the season ?
I’d see Paris in the top 6. Don’t ask me why… I’m so bad at analysis I might as well be blind. Despite hours of learning in front of HammerKick’s analysis, I still don’t understand everything. 😊 On the other hand, I do know my FDGod will kick ass…!
Who’s your favorite Overwatch hero ? Apart from Lucio ! :D
Sorry to disappoint you kids… but I don’t play Overwatch. I don’t even want to try, I’m too afraid to become addicted. Who’s going to make food and take care of the garden if I play Overwatch? What about scrabble and Minecraft ? What about the ukulélé and the guitar? But if I played, I would have picked a tank, D.Va in particular. Maybe because I like seeing HanBin, BenBest and NoSmite play.
Do you also play video games? If yes, which is your favorite ?
When I was a kid, I was the princess of Game&Watch. I have at least 15 of all kinds. For the story, there’s a Snoopy Tennis Game&Watch that fell into the crater of an Indonesian volcano during a school trip. I must’ve been playing Game&Watch while walking. Imagine : it could’ve been me in that crater… and FDGod would’ve never existed! Oh no! My old friends from primary school called me “Game&Watch princess”.
When I was younger, I played a lot of Street Fighter (Chun-Li) and then Quake! I was really good on Quake… But everything stopped from one day to the next on the 8th month of pregnancy for my first child, Sarah. I couldn’t play video games anymore without wanting to puke. RIP “violent” video games.
Now I play Minecraft, Scrabble, Candy Crush and lots of others. For Minecraft, I have a terrible fear of zombies! I’ll admit that I just build, create plantations, raise animals and walk around, all in survival mode. Playing the warrior against monsters gives me nightmares lol.
I also make big mistakes, like getting lost god knows where, so faaaaar from home. Brice even wrote down the coordinates of my house so I’d find my way. Sometimes he has enough and takes pity on his mom and teleports me back home.
Oh yeah, at one point, I was also the babysitter of my kids and neighbor’s Tamagotchis… a rough job — and I wasn’t paid of course.
Once again, thank you to FDMom ! We wish a very happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who carry !
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Translation by Gaila.
