Mike | Hunter | Major League Gaming | game technology

Mike asked for a plan. Blake delivered it. His days would be divided between homeschool and Guitar Hero drills. If he practiced enough and won enough competitions, he could earn prize money and attract sponsors. Eventually, he’d aim to qualify for Major League Gaming, a league of pro gamers, some of whom earn six figures. Blake even had a Plan B: Study game technology at North Carolina State University to prepare for a career in the gaming business.

Mike and Hunter also knew that Blake had been having a tough time socially at school. He’s a bit shy, and “it just didn’t click for him at school in that regard,” Mike says.

But the clincher was watching Blake play. He’d practice up to 10 hours a day. He’d break down a song into sections and tackle each, one by one, playing and replaying until he could get through without a mistake. “I don’t have basketball players on my team going six or eight or 10 hours a day,” Mike says. “He was teaching himself how to be better on his own. And at the tournament, he blew everybody away. Little kids were asking for his autograph. That’s how big it was.”

THE PEEBLES FAMILY was well prepared for Blake’s transition to homeschooling. Hunter had hired two tutors for him. Both parents had set conditions: He had to keep his grades up plus do all his homework and household chores without being asked. Otherwise, it was back to campus. They felt good about their decision to encourage Blake in his quest. (Mike, who gets up at 4:30 a.m. daily to work out, was uncomfortable with Blake’s hours, but he kept that to himself.) “Sometimes, parents just have to step out of their comfort zone and learn things they don’t understand to become involved in their kids’ lives,” Hunter says. “Some parents can’t let their kids be themselves if they’re not exactly what they’re ‘supposed’ to be.”