AJOC ESPORTS ACADEMY
Coaching Esports: The Role of the Esports Coach
For any coach, the holistic development of participants involves more than mastering technical and tactical skills. In this second part of a four-part series, Dr Laura Swettenham, Callum Abbott and Matthew Watson from *IFoEC explore the complex and evolving role of the esport coach
I think coaching goes far past just the game. There are plenty of people with in-game understanding, but coaching is about getting people to play on the same page. It is about setting the culture and the philosophy of how you want to play the game."
Peter Dun, League of Legends Coach
Similarities in coaching sport and esports
Many skills required for conventional sport coaches are also vital for the esports coach.
Esports coaching methods are likely to vary based on the game being played, though the relative youth of the esports coaching profession and limited access to training and development make it difficult to precisely define the specific role and responsibilities of the coach in esports. Despite this, we recognise some general skills from conventional sport coaching that are important for successful coaching in esports.
These skills include:
- Ability to make effective tactical decisions and to develop strategic understanding in players.
- Keeping track of key statistics, patterns in gameplay, and game updates.
- Teaching specific skills and concepts (e.g. exploiting situations in which an opponent is outnumbered, using deception).
- Analysing past games and providing effective feedback to the team.
- Expertise in administrative and organisational skills, such as arranging training sessions or recruiting and negotiating earnings.
- Ability to build relationships with players and stakeholders. For example, navigating interpersonal issues, and facilitating holistic development of individual players.