# Episode 122: Path of Play Day (2018)

**Source:** Pinball Profile  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2018-04-16  
**Duration:** 20m 28s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballprofile.com/episode-122-path-of-play-day-2018/

---

## Analysis

Jeff Teolis interviews Mike Primo about Path of Play Day (April 28, 2018), a charity fundraiser for families affected by autism. Mike discusses the origins of Path of Play, tournament streaming improvements with PAPA, and plans for April 28th including team competitions, guest appearances, and family game activities. The organization has raised nearly $15,000 in under a year and aims to transition to formal charity status to expand its full-time facility vision.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Path of Play has raised between $10,000-$15,000 in less than a year of operation — _Mike states 'We're less than a year old and I think we've raised just a shade under $15,000, somewhere between 10 and 15.'_
- [HIGH] Over 20 teams have signed up for Path of Play Day on April 28, 2018 — _Jeff mentions 'I see over 20 teams signed up' and Mike later confirms being at 83% of fundraising goal before the event_
- [HIGH] PAPA Monday night streams involve a production group of approximately 12 people who discuss and implement content ideas — _Mike states 'every Monday night they're streaming at Papa Headquarters. And we have a small production group of about 12 people.'_
- [HIGH] Path of Play plans to expand from non-profit to charity status and develop a full-time facility — _Mike discusses plans to 'go from having a non-for-profit status to a charity status' and describes vision for 'a full-time facility that does what we do in our basement every single day'_
- [HIGH] Four people from Pittsburgh and Teresa Nessel from Maine are attending Path of Play Day; an unannounced top-20 ranked player will provide free lessons — _Mike states 'we've got four people from Pittsburgh coming up. Teresa Nessel from Maine and her husband's coming up. And we have an unannounced surprise guest. All I'll say is he's a top 20 player'_

### Notable Quotes

> "The value in taking it slow. It's really easy to, if you get an idea and if you happen to get a positive response, you really do have to keep yourself in check."
> — **Mike Primo**, ~18:45
> _Core philosophy behind Path of Play's sustainable growth strategy and community engagement_

> "It's like this peanut butter chocolate moment is the best way that I can describe it... there's no judgment and inclusion is the number one thing that we strive for in these events that that is why the therapeutic side of it meets the play side of it."
> — **Mike Primo**, ~38:30
> _Describes the therapeutic mechanism of Path of Play and why gaming works as therapy for autism families_

> "I have a feeling someday, Jeff, I'm going to meet a really special person and they're going to do something amazing for this organization. At least I keep that hope alive inside."
> — **Mike Primo**, ~52:15
> _Reflects optimism about long-term expansion vision despite current resource constraints_

> "The way in which we're connecting with these families... I thought it was really important that our communities had an opportunity to see the way we connect with these families because connections and extension of that I think even if a family is not living with autism all they want to be able to do is connect with their child."
> — **Mike Primo**, ~27:00
> _Explains the inclusive philosophy and community awareness mission of Path of Play_

> "This inclusion you're going to see some firsthand certainly on April 28th Path of Play Day."
> — **Jeff Teolis**, ~42:30
> _Frames April 28th event as a demonstration of Path of Play's core inclusion principles_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Mike Primo | person | Tournament streamer and producer, PAPA collaborator, founder of Path of Play charity organization for families affected by autism |
| Jeff Teolis | person | Host of Pinball Profile podcast, interviewer, pinball community member involved in Path of Play |
| Path of Play | organization | Charity organization founded by Mike Primo to support families affected by autism through pinball and game play therapy, nearly one year old, raised $10,000-$15,000 |
| Path of Play Day | event | Fundraiser event scheduled for April 28, 2018, with 20+ teams participating, includes stream, competitions, and family game activities |
| PAPA | organization | Tournament organization collaborating with Mike on streaming improvements; hosts Monday night streams with 12-person production group |
| Luke | person | Mike Primo's son, diagnosed with autism; inspired creation of Path of Play; attended former daycare |
| Doug | person | PAPA team member collaborating with Mike Primo on streaming and tournament production |
| Neil McRae | person | Path of Play supporter, purchased finger ticket from PAPA auction, organizing family game day with Surrey National Artistic Society branch with wife Mandy |
| Mandy | person | Neil McRae's wife, co-organizer of Surrey branch family game day on April 28th, obtained approval from therapy center for inclusion activities |
| Teresa Nessel | person | Pinball player from Maine attending Path of Play Day with husband on April 28th |
| Pinburg | event | Annual pinball tournament, highlight social event for community, streaming production venue |
| Buffalo Pinball Summer Open | event | Pinball tournament that Mike Primo has streamed from |
| Denver tournament | event | Tournament attended by Jeff Teolis where he met multiple players including Ryan Wanger and other community members |
| Pinball Profile | product | Jeff Teolis's podcast series featuring interviews with pinball community figures; team participating in Path of Play fundraising |
| Zach Sharp | person | Pinball community member expecting child with wife; mentioned in parenting context |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Path of Play charity organization and autism therapy through pinball, Path of Play Day April 28, 2018 fundraiser event planning
- **Secondary:** Tournament streaming production improvements with PAPA, Pinball community social cohesion and networking, Inclusion and accessibility in pinball community events, Expansion plans: non-profit to charity status and full-time facility vision
- **Mentioned:** Game design philosophy for Path of Play (obstacle courses, gamer olympics)

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.92) — Overwhelmingly positive discussion of Path of Play's mission, community support, and charitable impact. Both speakers express genuine enthusiasm, gratitude, and optimism. No negative sentiment; minor humor around competitive play results. Strong emotional resonance regarding autism support and family connections.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Path of Play transitioning from informal non-profit to registered charity status to unlock corporate sponsorship, consulting firm partnership, and long-term facility expansion (confidence: high) — Mike discusses 'go from having a non-for-profit status to a charity status' and mentions consulting firm in Toronto willing to provide pro bono branding and sponsorship development work
- **[community_signal]** Mike Primo developing player-focused content strategy for tournament streaming, planning to showcase competitors' personalities to increase audience engagement similar to mainstream sports coverage (confidence: high) — Mike states 'I really want to develop content that showcases the players more' and compares engagement model to darts, golf, and hockey where knowing competitors increases viewership
- **[event_signal]** Path of Play Day (April 28, 2018) positioning as major charity fundraiser with multi-city participation, 20+ teams, special guest appearances, and livestream components (confidence: high) — Event details including Pittsburgh attendees, Maine attendees, top-20 ranked player guest, livestream recording, and 83% fundraising progress before event date
- **[community_signal]** Pinball community mobilizing across geographic and organizational boundaries to support autism therapy charity, with PAPA, podcasters, and tournament players actively participating in fundraising (confidence: high) — Multiple podcasters and tournament organizers creating teams, guest appearances announced, corporate ticket auctions, and coordination with venue organizations like Surrey National Artistic Society
- **[event_signal]** PAPA tournament streaming team expanding production infrastructure with Monday night streams, 12-person production group, and planned improvements for Pinburg 2018 coverage (confidence: high) — Mike describes 'every Monday night they're streaming at Papa Headquarters' with 'small production group of about 12 people' implementing community-sourced ideas and planning Pittsburgh dry runs in June

---

## Transcript

 It's time now for another Pinball Profile. I'm your host, Jeff Teolas. You can find our group on Facebook. We're also on Twitter at pinballprofile, email us pinballprofile at gmail.com, and please subscribe on either iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Here's a man you know because you've probably seen the streams from Pinburg or the Buffalo Pinball Summer Open, and you're going to see it again this year. Mike Primo joins us right now. Hey, Mike, how are you? I'm great, Jeff. How are you doing? I'm very, very good, and you've got some big, big news that we're going to get to in just a second about Path of Play Day, which is coming up on April 28th, and you can find more information on your website and also the link that we have on Pinball Profile on Facebook, too. But you and I got together, as we've talked about before, last year at Pinberg, and going to be doing it again this year. Another fantastic year, more people, more players, and more development, too, from the production side with you and the PAPA team. Why don't you tell us a little bit about what you've got planned? Well, I'll tell you what, Jeff. We're really excited about this year because when I did it last year, I hadn't known Doug for that long. It had only been maybe for about four weeks. And now that we have a little bit of history together, you know, we talk a lot more about the future and what you want for the next Pinberg. And I'm also spending time with him and the Papa team at other tournaments now. So there's an evolution in place. The list of ideas is a fair bit lengthy, and we're already making plans to go down to Pittsburgh. We're going to do some dry runs in June. We really want to get this right because we feel like, based on what we did in Pittsburgh last year and in Buffalo with Nick and Kevin, that there's a lot to build on still. So we're really excited. So expect to see a lot more instant replays, some great analysis, too, from the coverage that we have of the people doing the streams. and it's a real learning curve for you, but I saw firsthand how you kind of fix things on the fly with Doug and some of the other people, but now you're going to be a lot more prepared. So it only gets better. Every time you do it, it gets better and better. So, Mike, I know the pinball community really appreciates the time and effort that you and the PAPA team do. I don't think people realize how much time is really involved and think, oh, it could be this, this, this. Everyone's got a suggestion on how to make it better, and some are very, very good, but until you actually do it, it's a whole different ballgame, and it's also live. The truth is, Jeff, I'm always listening to feedback because I think that it's ridiculous to think that only I or only Doug would come up with these ideas. And what's really great now is every Monday night they're streaming at Papa Headquarters. And we have a small production group of about 12 people. And we talk all the time and they try to implement some of these ideas into the Monday night stream. I know one thing that I'd really like to do is start developing content that showcases the players more, so that if there's someone who's a pinball and they have a chance to see what all this tournament competition play is about, there's a chance to actually get to know the players. And I think with any sport, we see it in darts and golf and hockey, that the more you know about the competitors, the more you are engaged by the content. So that's certainly a point of interest for me, and it's something that I really want to escalate for this summer. Hmm, showcasing players in pinball. Sounds like a great idea. Yeah, I know something about that, don't you? I do agree. I mean, the games are certainly something we're familiar with, but there are some great people in pinball too. So you, myself, and other podcasters highlighting them, I think that's fantastic too. It's amazing how many more people I know just from listening to your show alone. I think that when you started this podcast, you were really on to something. And it's nice that when you start going to these events and you get to know more and more people all the time, eventually you find yourself at the prices right with some of these blokes, right? Yeah, that's true. Well, you know, I was just in Denver, too, and I've had people on from Denver. I've had Ryan Wanger and Jon Snow Galvin and Helena Walter-Higgins and some other people, Donovan Stepp. So I go there not really knowing anyone, really, but I go to this tournament that we do, and there were tons and tons of people I know. So it's a great community, this pinball thing, and Pinburg is certainly the highlight of the year for so many people as everyone flocks together. It's more about the tournament's great. But there's a big social aspect, too, and it's a lot of fun. It's like, you know when you go away from camp and you're like, oh, I hope I see these people again? Well, it's going back to camp. That's exactly what it is. I couldn't agree more. And it was a little weird for me last year because being in that position of producing a stream and not really knowing anybody, it was a weird environment for me because I just didn't know a lot of people at that point. And this year I'm a lot more excited because I know I'm going there looking for familiar faces. And I'm really excited about putting the work aside once in a while to spend some time with some really great people. Well, a lot of these great people and familiar faces are joining forces with you for a very important cause on April 28th, Path of Play Day. And that why I wanted to talk to you today about this And it been a real learning curve for you when you put this Path of Play together and now this big day coming up on April 28th I want to talk about kind of how this all came about to this date and really what you've learned from starting this organization. Well you know I was just thinking about this yesterday how this really all started and this is when I had a board game podcast and one of our sponsors Geek & Son when the news of Luke's diagnosis came out they stepped up right away and said, let's raffle off a table and help your family with some of the therapy costs. And I was blown away. And it wasn't too long before I realized that there was quite a bit of money coming in from this raffle. And my wife and I realized we just didn't need it all. And that there were families out there that just simply needed it more than we did. And that is really what started it all. And what it's all become now has just been an incredible, exciting thing. And I would say probably the thing I've learned, probably the most valuable lesson is the value in taking it slow. It's really easy to, if you get an idea and if you happen to get a positive response, you really do have to keep yourself in check. And I think what's resulted from this, Jeff, is that the people who are in our Facebook community and the people who are taking part in this event at the end of the month in April, they really want to be here. it's not this overpopulated place where i'm connected with some and disconnected with others everybody who's in our facebook community or taking part they really with their heart of hearts want to be involved and that is something i appreciate to know in i see over 20 teams signed up many podcasters yeah you were just on the pinball players podcast with jeff parsons and did a great job there for some more insight maybe listen to that about path of play day but also Well, as you mentioned, the Facebook community, too. You're going to be hearing on this program, Neil McRae, someone who's a person who really stepped up for Path of Play. Oh, you wouldn't believe. I can't believe what him and Mandy have done. Yeah. I mean, he bought the finger ticket that Papa auctioned off. The really big thing that they're doing that I just think is so selfless, is the fact that they're working with the National Artistic Society, the Surrey branch to have their very own family game day on April 28th and so it appears that they've been given the approval to do it they actually had a representative from the Surrey branch come out and look at Neil's location and they had to get approval as I understand it to work with a therapy center to invite some kids over and now they've gotten past that hurdle and Mandy just messaged me the other day and she is so excited about what this can become because Even though we're fundraising, when you have moments of active charity like that, it really leaves you speechless. And that's where real validation comes is when you start hearing from people that you don't know well or that you don't know at all. And we've gotten to a point now where these really unexpected moments happen where I meet people and I don't know where these relationships are going to go. And then all of a sudden, you come to find out they have a connection with autism as well. And we're at a point now where we're really starting to watch these relationships grow, and it's just really exciting, Jeff, I've got to say. For those that don't know, and I'm sure a lot of people do know already, but your son Lucas was diagnosed years ago. And, you know, I think of myself as a parent, and I know you think this too, and others listening as well that are parents. Your life changes immediately when you become a parent. I just said that to Zach Sharp, who him and his wife are expecting. Yeah, I saw that. I'm really happy for them. That was great. Yeah, and I said that to him. I said, you will not remember your life before you became a parent in a sense that your life really does change and for the better. But the one thing you certainly hope for, as you do with Luke and we all do with our kids, is, boy, I just want my kid to be happy. I want my kids to be healthy and the rest, let the chips fall where they may. So when you put this together to try to help others dealing with children that have autism and finding ways to connect, which is the whole key of Path to Play, I think it's a great charity that you've set up, and this Path of Play Day is just the beginning of something. And the reason I'm bringing this up right now is already, before Path of Play Day, you've already made some significant contributions to some families. And I don't know if you knew I wanted to talk about this, but I do want to highlight that because I think that's a really big deal that it's immediately having some impact. And maybe you can talk about some of those. Well, you said a key word there, and the word was connect. I'm finding that the way in which we're connecting with these families, you know, yesterday we made two subsidy donations to families, and there was one family that allowed us to capture it on video. And I said in my Facebook post, you know, this is something you've got to sort of be careful with because you don't want to sensationalize an opportunity like that. You want to make sure that when you're capturing something like that, you know, A, the family really wants to be a part of that. And I thought it was really important that our communities had an opportunity to see the way we connect with these families because connections and extension of that I think even if a family is not living with autism all they want to be able to do is connect with their child That all that matters. And when I get to meet these families and I see their response, that's enough for me to know that we're on the right track and we're doing some good things. We're less than a year old and I think we've raised just a shade under $15,000, somewhere between 10 and 15. I haven't had a chance to dial in the number yet, but I'm kind of proud of that because we're doing something active with that money. It's making an impact as far as our subsidy work is concerned. On top of that, we still have these family game days that we do and families just love coming to the house. It's not just families living with autism, it's families who are not impacted by special needs and we continue to see this little gleam in their eyes when they leave the house and we know they I can't wait to come back and do it again. You know, there's a lot to do after this day is done, and hopefully it leads to something that can be more full-time in terms of the family game day. Well, when you talk about families coming there and your own interactions with Luke, I wonder how this has become, this gameplay has become therapy for them. So I obviously don't understand that, not having the direct connection to someone with autism. So how have you discovered that this play has really been great therapy? I would say it's actually something that I was asked recently, and I feel that the little magic bean behind it is the fact that we put the families who are living with autism first. I don't want to describe the struggles in a way that victimizes families, but I'll tell you, there's some Facebook groups that I belong to, and some of the posts that I see on a daily basis are scary, and they're sad, and sometimes they just make me cry when I look at it. and I count my lucky stars that for some reason my wife and I haven't had to deal with some of those situations. But some of these families are really lost. I even know of a man that built a $1 million amusement park for his daughter because every time his daughter tried to swim with people at a hotel or do something in a public place, there was always this element of detachment simply because people didn't understand the behavioral traits. and what we're doing here is we're putting those families first and inviting other families to come along and it becomes therapeutic not just for the kids because we have professional staff who come and support the day and they work with these kids while they're here but it also frees up the parents and they get a little therapy out of it and then they get to talk to other parents and it becomes a wonderful awareness tool and I really do believe that well I don't believe I can see it in proof in the pudding now that we've done enough of these days that because it's a free play environment with no itinerary and there's no judgment and inclusion is the number one thing that we strive for in these events that that is why the therapeutic side of it meets the play side of it and it's like this peanut butter chocolate moment is the best way that I can describe it really. This inclusion you're going to see some firsthand certainly on April 28th Path of Play Day. I know one of my leagues. We're going to be part of the stream, and you and I are going to be together on April 21st at your place, and I probably assume there'll be a little bit of streaming going on there as well, too, but just some examples of some kind of playing, and really, I'm looking forward to actually... I've seen you before, Mike. You're great and all that stuff. I'm looking forward to meeting Luke, actually. I can't wait for you to meet him, and I really appreciate the fact that you and so many other people are involved. It means a lot to me that You're coming that day. That day is going to be interesting because I'm imposing upon a small group of pinball players a new game mode. I've sort of created this obstacle course of sorts, and I have really no idea how much fun it's going to be, but I think it'll be a nice little neat way to try and evoke some competition. And so we'll see what happens. And yes, we are recording that. We're going to package it so that on April 28th we can play that as a recorded chunk and then some of the gang that's coming over on the 28th. I don't know if you know this, but we've got four people from Pittsburgh coming up. Teresa Nessel from Maine and her husband's coming up. And we have an unannounced surprise guest. All I'll say is he's a top 20 player, and he's going to be here on the 28th to give some free pinball lessons to some of Luke's former teachers at his previous daycare. So it's going to be a lot of fun. We're going to be playing Jackbox Party. We've got this special thing called Gamer Olympics lined up. It's something that's become very popular on Twitch, these speed races. So we've got a course set up where the first obstacle, you have to put two frogs in the top on Frogger, and then you've got to run to the attack from Mars and beat a ship, and then you've got to throw a bullseye in the dartboard. So it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm excited. It'll just be so much fun to see all these people and the whole community all across the world, as we found out, are involved in Path of Play Day. As I've said, there are at least 20 teams on. We have one on Pinball Profile If you like to donate to that team or any team it all goes to the same cause and it is a great cause too uh we going to see i think just this huge spike on the 28th as the actual day happens too but i can't believe that we've seen so much success early on before we've even started so that's uh that bodes very well percent of the way there i i looked at the update this morning and we we officially fit at 83 percent and you know i've got a few more people to reach out to. And there's a few teams that, you know, getting this together takes some time and people live busy lives. So I really appreciate the fact that everybody's sort of putting their arms length out to get this done as soon as possible. Because if we hit the 100% goal before the day, basically the goal is to reach out to every person that contributed or registered and say, can you sometime during this day find one other person to match what you did? And who knows? I mean, if we double it, that's great. But even if we raise a little bit extra, we're going to make really good use of those funds that have been raised. We're extending our game distribution program to the United States very soon. In fact, you introduced me to Nikki when we met up in Chicago, and she told me her little connection to autism. And now we've got her little nephew that we've reached out to his mother, and we're hoping to send a game pack out there so that he can enjoy some board games from the people that we work with on the Path of Play project. So we're really excited about this stuff. It's turned out really well, I've got to say. So we have the link on Pinball Profile on our Facebook page. And also, too, it's not just about the 28th. So what really happens after the 28th? That's a great question. We have a really tight focus about what we want to do. The first thing is we want to go from having a non-for-profit status to a charity status. And having this change in our organization opens a lot of doors. The first thing is that we have a consulting firm in Toronto that's interested in possibly taking us on as part of their pro bono work that they do with non-for-profits. And it's easier for them to embrace projects like this if you can work yourself towards a charity status. If we can do that, they can help us brand ourselves more effectively. We start to go after corporate sponsorship. and the ultimate goal for me is to one day have a full-time facility that does what we do in our basement every single day like in my head I see this amazing place that has pinball board games our live stream studio maybe even a little soccer field where kids on the spectrum who maybe can't play by the rules of the true rules of soccer can just kick a ball around and they can be accompanied need by families who just want to come out and support and be there for them. And that, to me, is the ultimate dream for me, because the truth is, I mean, we're happy to run this in our home for now, but it's not something we can do for 20 years. So we know at some point we've got to be able to make a big move. And I have a feeling someday, Jeff, I'm going to meet a really special person and they're going to do something amazing for this organization. At least I keep that hope alive inside and we'll see what happens. Well, you're on to something for sure. It's been a great start. And again, you talked about, you know, having to slow things down and getting things just right. And you've done that. And now we're saying, yeah, that's right. Yeah, twice. That's right. And the first time you and I talked about it at great lengths and it was, it was a really important moment for sure. Well, look what's happened today and it's only going to get better and grow and grow and grow. And we'll post this again on our Facebook page and you'll be hearing more from Mike Primo and Path to Play Day. Thank you very much for coming on. I'll see you on the 21st and then again on the 28th. You better bring your A game, bro. I guess I've got to bring running shoes if I'm running around, and the bullseye, too. I can tell you one thing for sure. There will not be a Johnny Monomic here. Oh, did I have a little bit of luck on that? Okay, for those who don't know, Mike and I were in a best-of-the-three match, and it was tied going into the third game, and Mike made the silly mistake of saying, boy, I hate Johnny Mnemonic. Jeff, you get to pick the game. Yeah, before that even happened, right? Yep, Jeff, you get to pick the game. Let's try Johnny. Mike just sank. Oh, well. Lesson learned. If I ever play in a pinberg, I'm not going to say anything about what I love or hate. That is for sure. Thanks very much, Mike. We'll see you on the 21st. And again, Path of Play Day on the 28th. And your website, too. Yes, pathofplay.com. And if you want information specifically about the day, you can go to pathofplay.com backslash popday. And thanks for having me on the show, Jeff. I appreciate it. Talk soon, bud. All right. Take care, pal. This has been your Pinball Profile. You can find our group on Facebook. We're also on Twitter at pinballprofile, emails pinballprofile at gmail.com, and please subscribe on either iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. And please join our Pinball Profile Path of Play team. It would really mean a lot. I'm Jeff Teolas. I want my love. I want my love. I want your love I want your love

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

---

*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 7188b622-4e92-47a1-930d-f0d197c2f477*