Esports
Coach & Analyst

What is an Esports Analyst?

You will need an excellent understanding of the rules and intricacies a particular game, and usually be required to be able to play the game at a reasonable level yourself. You’ll need to keep up to date with game changes and the meta (how pros are playing the game in a certain way), analyse other top-level matches to get ideas, identify the strengths and weaknesses of your players, and come up with strategies.

Coaches and analysts may be required to analyse opponents, come up with reports, communicate with and use data effectively with players.

Some coaches are expected to assist the manager or owner in the recruitment of players, helping with venues, monitoring the health of players and more.

How to become a great Esports Coach & Analyst

As is the case with other esports roles, competition can be fierce in this area, so getting experience is key.

There are many amateur-level esports organisations in the UK that will be looking for decent coaches and analysts. While they might not be able to offer a salary, offering to volunteer part time for them throughout a season can be extremely valuable in terms of getting experience.

Will “FrozenDawn” Burgess offers his top tips:

1. My first bit of advice would be to make sure you understand what you are doing and WHY you are doing it. Understand what motivates you, how hard are you willing to try, how much time and effort and for how long will you keep pushing. Making sure you know these will help clarify your situation for you and will prevent backash if it all goes wrong.
2. Secondly, I would suggest focusing very much on clear goals and objectives. Not only as a coaching mechanism, but primarily for yourself. Start with a main overarching goal and then figure out how to achieve it and based smaller, easier goals from this.
3. I would advise being entirely self-critical and reflective. Consistently look back at your day/week and reflect on what you achieved, what you didn’t, what you did well and what you could have done better.
4. Make sure you have a contingency plan. Don’t drop out of school or college or university unless you have a strong offer. Something at any point could go wrong and you need to have a life available in case it does. This isn’t to say ‘don’t dream big’, of course if you want something, do everything you can to go get it. But be aware that at any point something could go wrong and you don’t want to be up the creek without a paddle.
5. Never stop learning and self-reflecting.

What are the hours like and what are the perks of the job?

“The hours are entirely dictated by how hard you are willing to try, and other commitments,” FrozenDawn states. “When I worked with ManaLight, I would wake at 10am, do two hours of academic study, then have lunch, a one hour break then coach League of Legends from about 2pm to 10pm.

“Sometimes I would coach for longer, but some days scrims would be cancelled and I would do a few less hours. This is by no means optimal, just what I was able to do.”

On the perks of the job, FrozenDawn adds: “I think everyone who does this, does it because they love it. I myself love playing and coaching, I love the competition, the constant struggle to improve and drive to be the best. Not all jobs can offer this: it is part of being involved in a competition driven-environment.

“There is also something to be said for helping players learn and improve and noticing that improvement, from having potential to being great, to seeing them actually perform well on stage.

“That is a very special feeling.”