The concept of having a coach for video games has been around for eons — it’s basically the number one career path for ex-players. League of Legends, and MOBAs particularly, have played a huge part in the expansion of coaches in general.
But what exactly does it take to be a coach? One team has pretty much laid everything out — and it’s a bloody long list.
Natus Vincere, which is the long form of the Ukrainian eSports organisation Na’Vi, is looking for a coach to lead their new League of Legends division. Na’Vi have been a force in MOBAs for a while thanks to the success of their Dota 2 team, and the personal popularity of Danil “Dendi” Ishutin, but that influence has largely remained within the ivory towers of Valve.
The organisation wants to change that and they’re in the process of finding a LoL squad. But new players require a new coach, and Na’Vi has a long, long list of requirements.
It’s not necessary, but if you can speak three languages — English, Korean and German — you’ll be looked upon favourably. Anyone that has an existing degree in coaching and psychology will undoubtedly go to the top of the tree as well. (Provided you know League of Legends, obviously.)
People who don’t have those attributes, or haven’t had the experience of being in an LCS team before, can still apply but you’ll need the following as a bare minimum:
REQUIREMENTS:
Fluency in English, excellent skill in verbal and written communication
Ability to relocate to Berlin, Germany and live with the team in a team house environment upon request
Proven track record of successfully coaching a team or individuals within an eSports environment
A minimum of two years experience in managing a team of young talents in- or outside of a gaming environment in a motivational way
Excellent problem solving skills
You have a positive, mature and humble personality
Excellent knowledge of League of Legends and its competitive scene
And as for what you’ll have to do, let’s just say you’ll be looking after the team — a young team, in particular — in basically all of their gaming-related needs while also being responsible for them.
As Head Coach for our League of Legends team, you will:
Work closely with and report directly to the discipline’s General Manager
Support executive staff on key tasks such as recruiting players and supporting staff for the team keeping Na’Vi’s high standards, values and mission in mind
Take full ownership in training and coaching the team’s players and supportive staff
Help to grow the athletes within their discipline and outside of the game
Assist the GM in creating and implementing player & staff development plans to guarantee their steady growth within Natus Vincere Group
Be responsible for the development and execution of in-game strategies
Analyse competitive teams and their training methods globally and adapt strategies accordingly
Build a highly productive, disciplined and engaging team environment
Work closely with support staff (such as Scout, Analyst, possible Assistant Coaches, etc.)
Plan and execute daily training sessions such as scrims and individual programs
Regularly analyse and evaluate players’ performance, motivation and overall condition and proactively identify and address pain points before they become problems
Regularly travel to global events the team participates in
It’s not mentioned outright, but the application also notes that the team will enter the European challenger series next year with a goal of qualifying for the European LCS. If the team doesn’t accomplish that by the end of 2016, it’s hard to imagine that the coach’s head would be on the block just as much as the team members.
Mind you, being the coach you’re in a much closer position to politically affect your position in an organisation, but that’s musing for another time. Those insane enough and willing to move to Berlin can hit up Na’Vi’s website
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