When looking for ways to connect with her then pre-teens, Hannah Boquet asked herself this question a few years ago:
“What if, instead of trying to pull my kids into my world with me, what would it be like if I stepped into their world with them?”
So Boquet opted to play video games with her kids, strapping on a headset and diving right into the world of Fortnite. She didn’t just learn how to play Fortnite, however. She learned about her kids, the connections they make and the way they communicate within the game, and she learned that connection was something she craved with them as well.
Boquet turned this story into a TEDx Talk. She presented her message, “How Esports Are A Parenting Power-up,” at the 2025 TEDx Sioux Falls event, held in April. Boquet recently learned that TED.com will post her talk on their official website for a wider, global reach.
TED Talks started 30 years ago under the banner of “ideas worth spreading” and continue to feature the world’s leading thinkers and doers who speak on a topic in 18 minutes or less. It has evolved to include other initiatives, such as TEDx, which are individuals or groups hosting local, self-organized TED-style talks. Sioux Falls has hosted several TEDx talk events since 2011. Boquet’s presentation was one of eight selected out of 178 applications for the 2025 Sioux Falls event.
Having a talk get featured on the main TED.com site is exceptional, said Thadeus Giedd, one of the co-organizers of the Sioux Falls event.
“This is one of the goals and aim-high wishes for us doing TEDx in Sioux Falls as independent organizers; to not just have a wicked awesome one-evening event with our community being benefited, but for the talks to potentially reach the entire globe,” he said.
Showcasing Sioux Falls with a talk delivering a positive message is a bonus, Giedd said. The TED platforms and network are an incredible way to share a message. Only one other TEDxSiouxFalls talk has been highlighted on TED.com - the August 2020 talk delivered by Sean Sherman, a multiple-time James Beard award winning chef and founder of the company, The Sioux Chef. Sherman spearheads keeping indigenous cuisine and culture still alive in the Americas. His talks online have view counts of 240,000-plus views on the TEDx YouTube link and more than 2.2-plus million views on the TED.com link.
As with Sherman’s talk, Boquet’s talk is also a great message to share to a wider audience, Giedd said.
“It really fits their (TED’s) platform well as an authentic, real message that embodies ideas and learning or wisdom worth sharing,” Giedd said. “Especially when it comes to connecting with our kids and across generation lines.”
Boquet’s kids are now pre-teen/teenagers and gaming is a way they regularly connect with one another. Boquet has also used her gaming skills in a professional capacity. As the Marketing Manager at SDN Communications, she was part of the team that launched the SoDak Circuit, a free, community-wide esports event sponsored by SDN and 17 local independent broadband providers. The inaugural event was held in September 2024 and returns on October 11. Esports became an official school-sanctioned sport in the 2024-25 school year.
As a regional leader in dedicated business connectivity, SDN Communications supports initiatives that strengthen communities through technology, digital literacy, and equitable access. “Hannah’s message shows that technology, when embraced with intention, can bring people closer together,” said Ryan Punt, CEO at SDN Communications. “We’re proud to see her story elevated on TED.com and to champion the infrastructure that helps innovation thrive.”
Boquet challenged herself to apply to present at TEDxSiouxFalls as part of her annual “do something scary” self-challenge. And, she said, “it was really scary. For me, it was a really big thing to do. I’m very proud of myself — and I was glad when I was done. Probably the best part was hearing my kids say, ‘That’s my Mom!’ when I was done with my talk.”
Within her talk, Boquet shared the benefits of esports including how playing video games is actually teaching kids life skills like leadership, communication and strategy as well as how to handle tough emotions like loss, anxiety and stress. These same skills can be learned in any other extracurricular activity. However, what’s unique about esports is that 80% of participants have never participated in another extracurricular activity.
Through gaming, Boquet was able to get a first-hand glimpse into her children’s world. She learned from them and also helped teach them how to navigate the online world. She also learned there’s joy in these spaces and shared experiences and connections can be found.
By tackling something scary like public speaking and sharing her story about how gaming is a parenting power-up, she can spread the positive message about esports. She also shared how gaming has enabled her children to have stronger relationships with relatives across the globe and the cheat code of introducing a significant other via a headset. Through sharing this message, Boquet said other parents have approached her about how to get plugged in with their own kids and esports.
Now with the amplification of the TED platform, her story will spread even wider. This broader stage will also highlight the growth of esports and companies like SDN Communications that support esports.
“Ultimately, it’s about meeting people where they are. When I started this, I thought it was about video games and esports, but in the end it’s about connection,” she said. “It has been an honor to give voice to this idea that has worked so well for my family.”
