The World Championship – Baolan gave his opinion about the role of coaches in League of Legends during a recent stream.
According to Baolan: “The outcome of the game does not depend on the coach. Out of 10 coaches, at least 8 of them do not know exactly what they should do. They are there to connect the players or to join in because of familiar relationships. And playing the game does not translate into the things that they convey.”
Moreover, the champion World Championship 2018 also hinted at the need for a coach to see who really understands the game.
In practice, the work of a coach in League of Legends specifically or Esports in general does not directly affect too much during the match. Unlike traditional sports like football, basketball… the coach of Esports only conveys before, and after the match ends. Therefore, the impact is usually not very noticeable.
Additionally, in some large teams, such as T1 or GAM Esports, many mic-checks have shown that the players often give suggestions to the coach about the strengths they can play, the weaknesses they should avoid. From these mic-checks, many viewers believe that the role of the coach does not truly understand and with some teams, it is no different from “just sitting there”.
In large teams and famous teams like T1, the role of the coach is often less noticeable
However, many viewers do not agree with the champion’s statement
According to some opinions, they believe that the role of the coach cannot be directly visible when the players are competing, but the influence before, and after the match is very significant. The differences between T1’s former coach Daeny – Zefa and T1 under the likes of Bengi – Tom – Roach or KkOma – Tom – Roach are clear.
A good coach in all sports, including Esports and specifically League of Legends, does not necessarily have to compete or play the sport at a high level. Coach KkOma is currently the most successful coach in League of Legends, but his rank has not surpassed the High Diamond (the lowest standard to coach).
– I do not agree with the first statement. There is a huge gap between teams that have players with talent and those that do not. Many people do not see the actual value that players bring.
– Players are very important, but I think many players in the NA/EU region do not realize the importance. This is one of the few advantages that NA/EU teams can have. Similar to NRG/FLY/TL recently
– Baolan forgets that he was just a nobody until Coach Kim and superstars like Duke, TheShy came and helped IG win the championship in 2018
Great coaches are those who not only have expertise to discuss, negotiate with superstar players; but also are the ones who maintain the atmosphere, mentality for players before and after each match. They are the ones who prepare the teams, but also must ensure the most serious attitude to keep the members in the team in the best condition, ready for every match.
Therefore, if one fully recognizes the role of the coach in a League of Legends team, it will be extremely surprising. Especially with Baolan himself when he and the Invictus Gaming team rose to the top of the LPL two years ago, until Coach Kim and superstars like Duke, TheShy came, then he “saw the light”.