HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Koen Schobbers
Koen schobbers became a professional gamer, an esports athlete, in a racegame, though the road to this career wass a long one and started early. Koen was only one year old when a passion for speed shined through. Everything had to do with speed and competition: quickest crawler, first one to open the door for the nanny, quickest person running around... Shortly after he got in touch with go karts which made his world turn upside down. He was fast, didn't fear anything and trusted on the grip of the tires and himself. He wasn't good coping with losses and therefore analysed every corner till perfection. His passion for racing was quickly visible for his parents which made them make the following choice: not racing as a sport in reality, but racing virtually! Since the old Gameboy and PlayStation 1 became available Koen was playing racing games. No one could've predicted that this choice of his parents would impact his life this much.
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My Story
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FOX-SPORTS
In 2014 Koen became an ambassador of the Dutch esports association, functioning as an example to the outside world. Not just as esports athlete, but also as someone that found balance between sleep, study, sports, social life and playing games. Shortly after this announcement he had an interview with the NOS about esports, an interview that led to a lot more media attention in the years that followed and can be seen by clicking here. The experience Koen got by speaking to media didn’t go unnoticed. Joost Roset, a producer with over 25 years of experience in media, appointed him early 2016 as the host of the new program Inside Esports on FOX-Sports and Twitch.tv. This year Koen also became a founding member of the athletes commission of the International Esports Federation (IESF), focussing on the rights, interests and welfare of athletes in esports and influencing the agenda and the choices of the board and the president of the IESF. Finally, through the IESF as advising body and his international mentor Charmaine Crooks, he has to do with the discussion surrounding esports and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
PREMASTER
Medical Student
As PreMaster Medical student in 2016, with the medical internships coming up in 2017, Koen knew he had to make a difficult choice between his two passions. His mother always told him that studying is #1, though he also wanted to continue his growing career in esports. Combining both worlds would be a very difficult task, so he searched for a solution. Through his medical network he got in touch with Prof. Dr. Schijven, a surgeon with a passion for serious games in healthcare and e-health. They came up with the idea of trying to give Koen a special study program as esports athlete in the Amsterdam Medical Center (AMC), normally only allowed for traditional professional athletes or exceptional situations. After 6 months the AMC announced that Koen would receive a special study program with the following message on twitter: ‘’Topgamer @koenznl is the first gamer to receive a special medical internship program. Therefore, he receives the same status as professional athletes #esports’’. He was the first esports athlete to receive a special study program in the Netherlands and he started his internships in September 2017.
event host
public speaker
Since 2016 Koen also gives workshops to parents, teenagers and kids using his own stories, experiences and models to explain the world of esports and gaming. His most famous model is the ‘’G.F.O.R.C.E Gamer guide’’, a model that is used by parents and children to live a balanced lifestyle including gaming. It stands for Gaming, Friends, Obsession, Rest, Classes, and Exercise. This model has a lot of in-depth information and advice, answering many questions on how to cope with a gaming child and how a child can discipline himself and stay balanced. Due to the huge interest from parents, Koen decided to write a book in 2017 to make sure he’s able to help more people. The book will be developed even further in 2018 and 2019 so it can be published in the end of 2019/beginning of 2020. You can register now to receive a limited-edition short-version of the book with unique insights and advice in 2019. The book is written in cooperation with writer Anne van Kessel and will be published by Maven Publishing, publisher of bestseller Mindf*ck among other great bestsellers.
In 2017 Koen also started speaking in public a lot more often. In March he hosted the gaming stage of Dutch Comic Con, in June he gave a workshop in Paris during the Dojo Esports Conference about ‘’Esports Olympics’’ and he became the first registered speaker in esports at SportsSpeakers in July. To this day he’s still very active as a speaker and speaks (inter)nationally on big stages like The Next Web 2018. Speaking in public, in combination with his passion to inform people about esports and gaming, gave Koen the chance to speak for companies, schools, political parties and organizations, as well as giving workshops, think of campaigns and guide them in the world of esports.