Ahead of the Game: The Unlikely Rise of a Detroit Kid Who Forever Changed the Esports Industry

Bought this for my 11 year old son because he had to read an autobiography for school.I read the first few pages and was intrigued. What an incredible story- I'm glad there's a book.

The story of Delane Parnell and how he parlayed his entrepreneurial spirit and skills intoan amazingly successful startup is very compelling.Kevin Ryan did a wonderful and thorough job of introducing me (and probably many others)to the worlds of esports as well as entrepreneurship.I loved reading how Delane overcame quite a few obstacles in his youth to achieve his goals- his drive and tenacity are a wonder!But one of my biggest takeaways in Ahead of the Game was learning how approximately 45% of high schoolers that participate in PlayVS have never before participated in any other after school activities. These kids are finally getting to experience that sense of community that their sports-playing peers enjoy when they play basketball, football, etc.I enjoyed this book very much and would highly recommend Delane Parnell's story in Ahead of the Game by Kevin J. Ryan.

This story was testament to the fact that the American Dream is not dead. Delane Parnell overcame some serious obstacles as a Black Entrepreneur to build an inclusive culture into the DNA of a company that contributed to its success. Kevin Ryan did a masterful job telling the story as I blew through this book because I couldn’t put it down. Some time-tested ingredients that lead to success in life were on display - a vision, hard work, some luck, perseverance, a strong support system, belief in yourself and others believing in you. With all the craziness going on in the world today, it was enjoyable reading about something positive like Delane’s story.

Delane's rise from little to creating PlayVS is inspiring and well told. The book takes you behind the scenes not just into the company but into the world of high school e sports competitions that kept me turning the page.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I appreciated that each chapter touched on a different aspect of Delane’s life and the history of esports. I was unfamiliar with the concept of esports and this provided strong background on what it is and the value it can bring to high school students. The author did a great job sharing matter-of-fact information to allow the reader to develop their own opinions. 5/5 and would recommend.