Flitz

2022-2025 📸

We are going to have to have a lot of difficult conversations over the next 5 years if we want esports to succeed. Personally, I feel the starting point is re-evaluating how varsity programs are structured. Most programs have one head coach in charge of multiple game titles with multiple seasons. This approach is entirely flawed and is the root for the majority of problems we see. It leads to lack of oversite (cheating), burnout, unplanned or subpar practice, no dedicated off-season,pre-season,in-season cycle (that is vital for proper planning & development of a team), budgets being sliced too many ways, loose expectations, unclear value to the students and school, and a complete lack of focus. There is not a single athletic director in the world that would task a coach with coaching multiple sports in the same season. So why did it happen in esports? Because of US. We were given the freedom to build and chose to built it that way. And it was the wrong decision. Luckily, that means WE also have the power to change it. "We had to build it that way to hit roster numbers." No, you could have recruited 15 students for one title instead of 15 students across 3 titles. It was just easier to say yes to whoever showed interest in your program, regardless of whether you had an actual plan on how to support that title. So how do we fix it? Redefine the expectations behind varsity and club. Varsity should be a structured sport run by a dedicated coach. Anything else should be moved to club and student-run. For every varsity title: Have a defined off-season,pre-season,in-season for every title your program offers. Limit coaches to one game title per season. Move game titles that don't have a coach to club status. Build a larger roster for the titles with a coach, eliminating the need for forfeits or reschedules. If you want to play all year round, have a coach who just focuses on one game with 2 seasons. If you need larger roster numbers, limit titles to one season, have a coach lead a different title in the fall and spring. Either way, this structure frees up an enormous amount of time for a coach to deliver a proper varsity experience, including player and team development, structured practices, and meaningful game days. All while also having off-season time to focus on community development, funding, recruiting, and preparing for things like travel and in-person matches. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.