Teams have just been released... you anxiously move your cursor over the #teams channel... and click.
So you just received the Team/Weakest Link that you're paired with. As you shift your focus to the week ahead, how do you properly prepare for tournament day?
I made this post to hopefully give some tips on what I'd recommend.
Keep in mind I'm not a qualified coach, these tips are from my own experience and, well, I don't have a lot of that. As such, please take these tips with a grain of salt.
Table of Contents
Teams:
Focusing on being the most effective coach, not the most skilled team.
Remember, you don't need to be the most skilled team to win this tournament!
We balance teams in a way where coaching your Weakest Link will have the highest impact on your team's performance, So try to focus as much of your attention on coaching your weakest link as possible.
Be encouraging
Your Weakest Link isn't going to be as skilled as the rest of team, and that's kind of the point! Make sure to keep that in mind when giving advice.
Be patient and understanding, point out the positives, encourage improvement! Insults and toxicity won't help them improve, and it usually just brings the whole team down.
Don't micro-manage
It can be tempting to tell your Weakest Link exactly what to do, every step of the way. But this will just make them feel stressed and play worse. They also won't be able to understand why you are making those decisions, which doesn't help them learn.
Instead, try stepping back and let them have the freedom to make their own decisions, and just wait to respond until after the game with constructive criticism.
The official guide to coaching.
Dr. Prodigy and FLC created a wonderful, comprehensive guide on coaching.
This guide isn't a prerequisite to signing up, and I don't expect teams to read the entire thing.
However, I strongly recommend at-least skimming over it if you have the time.
The Weakest Link
Keep an open mind
Make sure to stay open to what your teammates have to say about your gameplay.
It can greatly quicken the process of learning and improving.
Ask questions
There may be scenarios where you find you commonly struggle in.
Your team might not pick up on that, so don't be afraid to ask questions and be proactive in your improvement.
Speak up
It's true that you may not be as skilled as the 3-player-team. But don't let this stop you from having your own ideas, thoughts, and takes on what you should do.
Don't be afraid to experiment on your own, and tell your team your own ideas.
That's all I have to say, I hope some of these were helpful to you. If you have any suggestions on what I should add, you can message me on discord @LeptoFlare.