Battle arenas, monsters and fields of justice are just one day’s combat for senior Ryan White. In the computer game League of Legends, he faces a myriad of demons. After having much success in the game, he has been crowned a victor—he is among the top of the world’s competitors.

Among the four possible levels of experience, White is at the highest, diamond, which means he is in the top .03 percent of the world in his game.

The levels determine the caliber of competition the gamer is playing against, so White is competing against fellow top players in the world.  While his feat is impressive, he was surprised to be singled out by the school.

“I don’t go bragging [about it] so I don’t think too many people know,” he said. “But I’m okay with just having some people be aware.”

Just like in any other extra-curricular, White didn’t receive this recognition without working long hours. White has been playing the game for more than two and a half years, and he plays two to three hours per day.

Not only does he spend a lot of time on his computer, but he also still participates in many school activities. As a member of the swimming and weightlifting teams, White looks for similarities between his sports and gaming.

Even though he enjoys both gaming and sports, White finds gaming to be a more gratifying activity.

“League of Legends is a team-based game so you have five people on each team,” he said. “And [even though] you swim individually, it’s [also] a team-oriented event,” he said. “I’d say League of Legends is more [so] because you can’t win by yourself. It’s nice to have a competitive spirit within the group.”

In the game, players must form a group to join. White’s group is made up of people that he met online. Although he has never met them, he has known some of his online friends for up to three years.

“We always talk with each other not just [about electronics], but [about] life, too,” he said. “It’s nice meeting new friends in other places who see things differently than I do.”

With the amount of time and effort that White puts into gaming, it seems to be a career. There is a select group which plays video games for a living, but even though he is in the top .03 percent, he says he is still not at a high enough level to make video gaming his job.

However, with an increase in electronic systems, video game design has become a booming industry. White said he would be interested in that side of the industry and that if he were to choose a platform, he would make a computer game.

An increase in video gaming brings a larger controversy surrounding the games. Brutal games are repeatedly claimed to be a cause of violence. According to critics, when children grow up playing these games they are desensitized to the blood and gore that are so often glorified. But White sees both sides of the story.

“I think it helps and hurts people,” he said. “It can definitely contribute to violence with games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto,  [but] it helps reaction times and helps me calm down. When I’m angry, I know I can just go play a video game and have time to myself.”

Even though bloody warfare is common in games, White prefers less violence. He said that while League of Legends can be gruesome, at times it is not remarkably brutal compared with other popular games.

Another common concern surrounding video games is that they are a waste of time. Parents are especially ubiquitous in this group. While White said his dad can be a bit concerned, his father is starting to understand why he enjoys video games so much.

While White enjoys gaming, he doesn’t make it his only priority.

“I don’t think you should do it all the time,” he said. “When I started, I was [playing] way too much. You have to have a balance. It’s the same thing as sports and school. Everything’s got its place in your life.”

Despite the fact that White is a diamond level gamer, he still is trying to keep up with other daily struggles. He admitted, “I’m not so good at Candy Crush.”