amazingxkcd Profile Blog Joined September 2010 GRAND OLD AMERICA 15736 Posts Last Edited: 2016-08-24 18:42:21 #1



The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.



- Vince Lombardi



Vince Lombardi, the man after which the Lombardi trophy is named, is universally hailed as one of the greatest coaches to ever grace the sport of American football. He took a failing Green Bay Packers team and turned their fortunes around instantly: they became perennial title contenders and Lombardi hauled them to five championships in his nine year tenure. His dedication and no frills approach to the game of football was the magic that transformed the Green Bay Packers into a powerhouse, marking Vince Lombardi as the X-factor of his time. He had similar success in his one season stint with the Washington Redskins after departing from the Packers, leading them to a winning season. Yet what does Vince Lombardi, his coaching career, and the great sport of American football have to do with Counter-Strike?





A trait called the “Lombardi Factor”.



Vince Lombardi, the man after which the Lombardi trophy is named, is universally hailed as one of the greatest coaches to ever grace the sport of American football. He took a failing Green Bay Packers team and turned their fortunes around instantly: they became perennial title contenders and Lombardi hauled them to five championships in his nine year tenure. His dedication and no frills approach to the game of football was the magic that transformed the Green Bay Packers into a powerhouse, marking Vince Lombardi as the X-factor of his time. He had similar success in his one season stint with the Washington Redskins after departing from the Packers, leading them to a winning season. Yet what does Vince Lombardi, his coaching career, and the great sport of American football have to do with Counter-Strike?A trait called the “Lombardi Factor”.







If winning isn’t everything, then why do they keep the score?



- Vince Lombardi







The Lombardi Factor is a term used to describe coaches that serve as their team’s X-factor. While the term’s origin is in American football, the idea is similarly applicable in esports. Coaches who carry the Lombardi factor can lead his team to success, enable his team to overcome any existing weaknesses, and drive them to better themselves in all facets of the game. It can be said that the performance of any given team is the sum of all parts, but an exemplary coach serves as the multiplier effect for his team.



CS:GO is in an interesting phase. We have enjoyed numerous majors already, and the game has smashed multiple viewership & playing records in the short years of the game’s existence. Despite continuing the legacy of 1.6, Counter-Strike still has a road to travel before reaching the pinnacle of esports—once occupied by Brood War for over a decade and currently approached by games such as DotA 2 and League of Legends. Sure, TBS’s Super League is in the works, we now have the minors system that will feed into the majors, and there will be more premier-tier tournaments with grandiose prize pools. However, the growing number of tournaments hides the fact that, in some ways, the game has stagnated. Counter-Strike teams are still missing a key element that will propel both themselves and the game forward: proper, dedicated coaching and support staff.

The Lombardi Factor is a term used to describe coaches that serve as their team’s X-factor. While the term’s origin is in American football, the idea is similarly applicable in esports. Coaches who carry the Lombardi factor can lead his team to success, enable his team to overcome any existing weaknesses, and drive them to better themselves in all facets of the game. It can be said that the performance of any given team is the sum of all parts, but an exemplary coach serves as the multiplier effect for his team.CS:GO is in an interesting phase. We have enjoyed numerous majors already, and the game has smashed multiple viewership & playing records in the short years of the game’s existence. Despite continuing the legacy of 1.6, Counter-Strike still has a road to travel before reaching the pinnacle of esports—once occupied by Brood War for over a decade and currently approached by games such as DotA 2 and League of Legends. Sure, TBS’s Super League is in the works, we now have the minors system that will feed into the majors, and there will be more premier-tier tournaments with grandiose prize pools. However, the growing number of tournaments hides the fact that, in some ways, the game has stagnated. Counter-Strike teams are still missing a key element that will propel both themselves and the game forward: proper, dedicated coaching and support staff.





I think in the NFL knowledge is power, and you try to get the knowledge by whatever

means.



- Steve Sabol





Coaching in Counter-Strike has recently become a subject of debate; while it has not been fully developed, there have been many attempts by teams and organizations to fill the coaching role. Ninjas in Pyjamas, for example, brought on Joona “Natu” Leppänen back in April to help fix NiP’s malaise. Now, they have Björn “Threat” Pers acting as their current coach. Sergey “Starix” Ischuk stepped down as an active player for Natus Vincere to act as their coach before also becoming their in-game leader. Just recently, Mathieu “Maniac” Quiquerez has been slated to coach Team EnVyUs, where he will hope to revitalize their gameplay for 2016. While these coaching hires have proven quite hit-or-miss, their influence on their teams cannot be denied. Yet a transcendental figure has still eluded us; Counter-Strike is still looking for its own Lombardi Factor.



Surprisingly, Counter-Strike can draw parallels to American Football. Both disciplines determine the outcome of a game through a series of rounds. The outcome of each round is determined by the tug-of-war between offensive and defensive teams. At the highest level, rounds are dictated by the set strategies employed by both teams and the series of actions that each player executes. While amateurs may believe that Counter-Strike is a game of aim, it is, in fact, deeply rooted in strategy.



Primary decision making occurs at the start of each round, whether in the huddle or during the buy time. Furthermore, auxiliary decision making occurs during the round, often by the in-game leader. Mid-round calls and tactics are parallels to audibles that the quarterback calls based off his reads, or how the defense shifts their defensive posture. Highlight-reel-worthy plays are often the result of auxiliary decision making processes that build on overarching strategies.



Primary and auxiliary tactical options are formulated by the coaching staff during pre-game preparations. Strategies are developed and refined; mistakes and weaknesses are corrected; and the team perfects its executions. Football teams employ tape review sessions where they do the brunt of their pre-game analysis and preparations. Counter-Strike teams study demos of their opponents in the same way. Due to these similarities, Counter-Strike has an abundance to learn from its traditional sports counterpart.

Coaching in Counter-Strike has recently become a subject of debate; while it has not been fully developed, there have been many attempts by teams and organizations to fill the coaching role.Ninjas in Pyjamas, for example, brought onJoona “Natu” Leppänen back in April to help fix NiP’s malaise. Now, they haveBjörn “Threat” Pers acting as their current coach.Sergey “Starix” Ischuk stepped down as an active player forNatus Vincere to act as their coach before also becoming their in-game leader. Just recently,Mathieu “Maniac” Quiquerez has been slated to coachTeam EnVyUs, where he will hope to revitalize their gameplay for 2016. While these coaching hires have proven quite hit-or-miss, their influence on their teams cannot be denied. Yet a transcendental figure has still eluded us; Counter-Strike is still looking for its own Lombardi Factor.Surprisingly, Counter-Strike can draw parallels to American Football. Both disciplines determine the outcome of a game through a series of rounds. The outcome of each round is determined by the tug-of-war between offensive and defensive teams. At the highest level, rounds are dictated by the set strategies employed by both teams and the series of actions that each player executes. While amateurs may believe that Counter-Strike is a game of aim, it is, in fact, deeply rooted in strategy.Primary decision making occurs at the start of each round, whether in the huddle or during the buy time. Furthermore, auxiliary decision making occurs during the round, often by the in-game leader. Mid-round calls and tactics are parallels to audibles that the quarterback calls based off his reads, or how the defense shifts their defensive posture. Highlight-reel-worthy plays are often the result of auxiliary decision making processes that build on overarching strategies.Primary and auxiliary tactical options are formulated by the coaching staff during pre-game preparations. Strategies are developed and refined; mistakes and weaknesses are corrected; and the team perfects its executions. Football teams employ tape review sessions where they do the brunt of their pre-game analysis and preparations. Counter-Strike teams study demos of their opponents in the same way. Due to these similarities, Counter-Strike has an abundance to learn from its traditional sports counterpart.





Come in every day. Give my team a good plan. I want the players to be able to count on me to tell them the truth.



- Tom Thibodeau



Coaches play a crucial role in developing the playbook that teams use during a game. This includes predetermined executes, setups, and the variety of tactics that teams employ. The playbook is the summation of the research and development done by coaches, staff and teams, and thus are closely guarded secrets. Imagine if you could get your hands on your opponent’s playbook! You would be hard-pressed to lose the game! Of course, Counter-strike does not have the luxury of having a large support staff to develop intricate playbooks, but teams have developed their own informal set of strategies, a primitive version of a playbook. A prime example of this is Cloud9’s “veggie wrap”, an A site execute on Cache that they’ve coined.









Originally developed by EnVyUs, Cloud9 have added it to their playbook



Developing and refining these executes, tactics, and strategies is the primary responsibility of a coach. This would include the creation of strategies and development of strategies through practice, demo reviews, scrims, etc. The most important step for the coach is breaking down the playbook with the team so that they understand when and how to make adjustments during the match.



No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.



- Colin Powell



Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005, illustrates a crucial understanding of combat. Going into a round with a pre-determined strategy will fail if there are no protective measures or redundancies developed into that strategy. Just as a team is executing a tactic or a default in a given round of Counter-Strike, the other team is doing the same. How many times have we seen a round fall apart because there was not a contingency plan in place? The coach introduces a hierarchy of redundancies and intricacies for their tactics in the playbook. Should the player with the key smoke die early in the round, the team can make the necessary adjustments to execute a deviation of the primary strategy or transition into a secondary strategy.

Coaches play a crucial role in developing the playbook that teams use during a game. This includes predetermined executes, setups, and the variety of tactics that teams employ. The playbook is the summation of the research and development done by coaches, staff and teams, and thus are closely guarded secrets. Imagine if you could get your hands on your opponent’s playbook! You would be hard-pressed to lose the game! Of course, Counter-strike does not have the luxury of having a large support staff to develop intricate playbooks, but teams have developed their own informal set of strategies, a primitive version of a playbook. A prime example of this isCloud9’s “veggie wrap”, an A site execute on Cache that they’ve coined.Developing and refining these executes, tactics, and strategies is the primary responsibility of a coach. This would include the creation of strategies and development of strategies through practice, demo reviews, scrims, etc. The most important step for the coach is breaking down the playbook with the team so that they understand when and how to make adjustments during the match.Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005, illustrates a crucial understanding of combat. Going into a round with a pre-determined strategy will fail if there are no protective measures or redundancies developed into that strategy. Just as a team is executing a tactic or a default in a given round of Counter-Strike, the other team is doing the same. How many times have we seen a round fall apart because there was not a contingency plan in place? The coach introduces a hierarchy of redundancies and intricacies for their tactics in the playbook. Should the player with the key smoke die early in the round, the team can make the necessary adjustments to execute a deviation of the primary strategy or transition into a secondary strategy.





The structure of your practice is the main reason for your success or lack of success as a coach.



- Bobby Knight



Counter-Strike and football are exciting to watch because they present multiple approaches to the same game. The way that Fnatic’s Markus “pronax” Wallsten strategizes and executes tactics is a far cry from how a team lead by Vincent “Happy” Schopenhauer dictates their play. Neither team can even compare to the tactics and vision that Na’Vi have with Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács controlling the flow of the game. Teams have strengths that their coach aims to intensify and weaknesses that their coach aims to mend. Playbooks must capitalize on a team’s playstyle and personality, yet the players must also learn to adapt to more effective strategies. A team that has a strong playbook can still perform poorly if the playbook does not resonate with their strengths, or if the players fail to understand and execute properly.





This execute by now-Luminosity exemplifies the Brazilians’ propensity for tactical play



A Counter-Strike team can learn from the approach that NFL franchises have when it comes to determining the overarching strategy for each game. For example, the Atlanta Falcons have entertained super-star performances from the up-start running back Devonta Freeman this season, demolishing teams that have poor run defenses. Against teams that have the tools to stop Freeman, the Falcons switch up their strategy and utilize their fantastic wide receiver corps of Julio Jones and co. to move the ball down the field.



Likewise, Counter-Strike teams with a well developed playbook will have a plan for every situation. Tournament games rarely run as smoothly as practice or scrims, and a good playbook is one that players can internalize and shift through with ease. How a team approaches a game when pitted against Na’Vi should be different when challenging Fnatic, etc. It is up to the coach—with the input of his players—to prepare for a match by choosing strategies that exploit an opponent’s weaknesses while guarding against potential counter-strategies. This is where the best coaches separate themselves from average coaches, where the Lombardi Factor comes into play.

Counter-Strike and football are exciting to watch because they present multiple approaches to the same game. The way thatFnatic’sMarkus “pronax” Wallsten strategizes and executes tactics is a far cry from how a team lead byVincent “Happy” Schopenhauer dictates their play. Neither team can even compare to the tactics and vision thatNa’Vi have withLadislav “GuardiaN” Kovács controlling the flow of the game. Teams have strengths that their coach aims to intensify and weaknesses that their coach aims to mend. Playbooks must capitalize on a team’s playstyle and personality, yet the players must also learn to adapt to more effective strategies. A team that has a strong playbook can still perform poorly if the playbook does not resonate with their strengths, or if the players fail to understand and execute properly.A Counter-Strike team can learn from the approach that NFL franchises have when it comes to determining the overarching strategy for each game. For example, the Atlanta Falcons have entertained super-star performances from the up-start running back Devonta Freeman this season, demolishing teams that have poor run defenses. Against teams that have the tools to stop Freeman, the Falcons switch up their strategy and utilize their fantastic wide receiver corps of Julio Jones and co. to move the ball down the field.Likewise, Counter-Strike teams with a well developed playbook will have a plan for every situation. Tournament games rarely run as smoothly as practice or scrims, and a good playbook is one that players can internalize and shift through with ease. How a team approaches a game when pitted against Na’Vi should be different when challenging Fnatic, etc. It is up to the coach—with the input of his players—to prepare for a match by choosing strategies that exploit an opponent’s weaknesses while guarding against potential counter-strategies. This is where the best coaches separate themselves from average coaches, where the Lombardi Factor comes into play.







Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.



- Vince Lombardi





It is one thing for a coach to develop an extensive playbook for the team to use and another thing to get the team to learn, practice, and most importantly understand the playbook. One of the tenets of being a coach involves having the expertise to develop and foster talent into quality players. At the same time, the coach must enforce discipline into gameplay. The playbook of the team must be studied, practiced, and understood. If a player does not understand his role, the coach must remedy that immediately. Of course, one does not need to tell Jesper “JW” Wecksell how to AWP a given angle or direct Spencer “Hiko” Martin on the principles of clutching a round, but there are still aspects of individual gameplay that the coach should work on and fix when needed.



For coaches to have an impact in western esports, misconceptions must be addressed. First and foremost, the coach is the coach. The coach is not a cheerleader. The coach is not a manager. The coach is not a drill sergeant. The coach is there to focus on coaching. As Counter-Strike continues its explosive growth, organizations will have the capital & influence to invest into proper support for full time coaching positions and still have infrastructure for support crew to help the players. It was saddening to see a smart analytical coach like natu be stuck fighting with the organization that he was working for. One cannot fully dedicate to coaching if there are distractions surrounding the team or if the organization is not fully committed to supporting the coach and his vision for the team.



A team’s success is directly tied to their coach’s success; it must be a mutually beneficial relationship or neither party will prosper. At the same time, a coach must be held accountable for his team’s failures. Coaches in the NFL are evaluated almost exclusively on their team’s results; the firing of multiple coaches at the end of every season is evidence of that. Teams in Counter-Strike have been too lax with their coaches when their teams have been underperforming without any visible improvements. Yet at the same time, they must learn to be more patient with a talented coach’s long-term vision as long as visible progress is being made.

It is one thing for a coach to develop an extensive playbook for the team to use and another thing to get the team to learn, practice, and most importantly understand the playbook. One of the tenets of being a coach involves having the expertise to develop and foster talent into quality players. At the same time, the coach must enforce discipline into gameplay. The playbook of the team must be studied, practiced, and understood. If a player does not understand his role, the coach must remedy that immediately. Of course, one does not need to tellJesper “JW” Wecksell how to AWP a given angle or directSpencer “Hiko” Martin on the principles of clutching a round, but there are still aspects of individual gameplay that the coach should work on and fix when needed.For coaches to have an impact in western esports, misconceptions must be addressed. First and foremost, the coach is the coach. The coach is not a cheerleader. The coach is not a manager. The coach is not a drill sergeant. The coach is there to focus on coaching. As Counter-Strike continues its explosive growth, organizations will have the capital & influence to invest into proper support for full time coaching positions and still have infrastructure for support crew to help the players. It was saddening to see a smart analytical coach like natu be stuck fighting with the organization that he was working for. One cannot fully dedicate to coaching if there are distractions surrounding the team or if the organization is not fully committed to supporting the coach and his vision for the team.A team’s success is directly tied to their coach’s success; it must be a mutually beneficial relationship or neither party will prosper. At the same time, a coach must be held accountable for his team’s failures. Coaches in the NFL are evaluated almost exclusively on their team’s results; the firing of multiple coaches at the end of every season is evidence of that. Teams in Counter-Strike have been too lax with their coaches when their teams have been underperforming without any visible improvements. Yet at the same time, they must learn to be more patient with a talented coach’s long-term vision as long as visible progress is being made.





Talent sets the floor, character sets the ceiling.



- Bill Belichick



There is a false dichotomy that has been quite pervasive: if a player did not have a successful career, then he will not be a good coach. This is the belief that has been holding western esports back. A coach does not need to play the game at the highest level in order to gain expert insight and understanding of a given game, let alone attempt to give advice to players. Developing analytical skills is independent of the game, and applying it to the game can be learned. Yes, having the experience as a top player can help. However, there are many examples where coaches have flourished in their careers without being a top tier athlete. Vince Lombardi never extended his athletic career after his college career at Fordham University yet he is a Hall of Famer.



To bring an extremely prevalent example in esports, one can look at South Korea and Brood War. The South Koreans enabled themselves to develop proper infrastructure and support for the best coaches to thrive. Head Coach Park of SK Telecom T1 never played a professional match yet developed an extremely successful progaming team. When Riot’s League of Legends started to become popular in South Korea, organizations imported Brood War coaches to coach their LoL teams. South Korea winning the last three world championships is a testament to their understanding of this concept.



Similarly, not all successful players have the qualities necessary to become a coach. It involves far more than just analytical skills or a deep understanding of the game; players such as Tarik “tarik” Celek would be failures as a coach. One only needs a quick glance at his FPV in FPL games to understand that his ability to fully grasp the nuances of tactical play is hindered. It does not help when ex-pros go great lengths to exaggerate their success and knowledge of the game to garner themselves coaching positions. The aptitudes for analysis and problem solving are the key traits a coach must possess. If a prospective coach does not have either, then his inadequacies will quickly reveal themselves.



Organizations need to take a hard look at what their current coaches are doing for the team. Are they improving results? Are they making positive changes to the team and fixing flaws? Are they developing talent and developing an effective playbook for the team? Are they able to introduce changes when it is needed to drive the team forward? Organizations need to develop proper metrics in order to weigh the value and contribution of their coaches, instead of simply believing their coaches when they go out in public and state that “the team needs more time”.

There is a false dichotomy that has been quite pervasive: if a player did not have a successful career, then he will not be a good coach. This is the belief that has been holding western esports back. A coach does not need to play the game at the highest level in order to gain expert insight and understanding of a given game, let alone attempt to give advice to players. Developing analytical skills is independent of the game, and applying it to the game can be learned. Yes, having the experience as a top player can help. However, there are many examples where coaches have flourished in their careers without being a top tier athlete. Vince Lombardi never extended his athletic career after his college career at Fordham University yet he is a Hall of Famer.To bring an extremely prevalent example in esports, one can look at South Korea and Brood War. The South Koreans enabled themselves to develop proper infrastructure and support for the best coaches to thrive. Head Coach Park of SK Telecom T1 never played a professional match yet developed an extremely successful progaming team. When Riot’s League of Legends started to become popular in South Korea, organizations imported Brood War coaches to coach their LoL teams. South Korea winning the last three world championships is a testament to their understanding of this concept.Similarly, not all successful players have the qualities necessary to become a coach. It involves far more than just analytical skills or a deep understanding of the game; players such as Tarik “tarik” Celek would be failures as a coach. One only needs a quick glance at his FPV in FPL games to understand that his ability to fully grasp the nuances of tactical play is hindered. It does not help when ex-pros go great lengths to exaggerate their success and knowledge of the game to garner themselves coaching positions. The aptitudes for analysis and problem solving are the key traits a coach must possess. If a prospective coach does not have either, then his inadequacies will quickly reveal themselves.Organizations need to take a hard look at what their current coaches are doing for the team. Are they improving results? Are they making positive changes to the team and fixing flaws? Are they developing talent and developing an effective playbook for the team? Are they able to introduce changes when it is needed to drive the team forward? Organizations need to develop proper metrics in order to weigh the value and contribution of their coaches, instead of simply believing their coaches when they go out in public and state that “the team needs more time”.





Even the greatest players accept coaching and value the need for discipline and the order that it brings to the team.



- Jack Ramsay



The necessity of dedicated coaching in CS:GO will continue to be a hot topic. When one looks at the success of 2012-2013 NiP and of the existence of Envy, arguments can be made against the necessity of coaches. However, taking a closer look at these teams and the era of their dominance reveals some issues. The metagame at the time did not require structured, tactical Counter-Strike; why develop tactics when you can crush your opponents with aim? Envy became one of the most successful teams of the modern era through this idea. However, Envy have started to struggle against Na’Vi and their loss to Luminosity at the Faceit Stage 3 Finals suggests it is becoming a pattern. When one can’t use pure skill to beat a team with developed strategies and tactics, it’s time to take a step back and perform a self-evaluation. Envy recognized this weakness and brought in Maniac to turn their erratic brute force into a focused Blitzkrieg. The metagame is slowly changing; teams must adapt or die in the dust.



Another current debate involves the idea of meshing the in-game leader role and the coaching position. Teams have been experimenting with different configurations of in-game leadership and coaching; Na’Vi’s starix is the non-playing in-game leader and coach while sgares was the playing coach for Cloud9. The flexibility that Counter-Strike offers is fantastic. Teams must tailor their in-game leadership and coaching to suit their personnel and preferred strategies. How a configuration works for a given team is something the team must invest in and experiment with; what works for one team may not work for another. Each team has its own needs and wants that a configuration can either support or repel.



2016 should be a landmark year for coaches in CS:GO, and there is a good chance that they will play a larger role in the success of their teams. Will there be a Lombardi Factor that transforms his team into something greater than what they could individually achieve? Or will coaching continue to be neglected? At the end of the year, we will measure them by what they do with what they have.





Writer:

Editors: Lichter

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The necessity of dedicated coaching in CS:GO will continue to be a hot topic. When one looks at the success of 2012-2013 NiP and of the existence of Envy, arguments can be made against the necessity of coaches. However, taking a closer look at these teams and the era of their dominance reveals some issues. The metagame at the time did not require structured, tactical Counter-Strike; why develop tactics when you can crush your opponents with aim? Envy became one of the most successful teams of the modern era through this idea. However, Envy have started to struggle against Na’Vi and their loss to Luminosity at the Faceit Stage 3 Finals suggests it is becoming a pattern. When one can’t use pure skill to beat a team with developed strategies and tactics, it’s time to take a step back and perform a self-evaluation. Envy recognized this weakness and brought in Maniac to turn their erratic brute force into a focused Blitzkrieg. The metagame is slowly changing; teams must adapt or die in the dust.Another current debate involves the idea of meshing the in-game leader role and the coaching position. Teams have been experimenting with different configurations of in-game leadership and coaching; Na’Vi’s starix is the non-playing in-game leader and coach while sgares was the playing coach for Cloud9. The flexibility that Counter-Strike offers is fantastic. Teams must tailor their in-game leadership and coaching to suit their personnel and preferred strategies. How a configuration works for a given team is something the team must invest in and experiment with; what works for one team may not work for another. Each team has its own needs and wants that a configuration can either support or repel.2016 should be a landmark year for coaches in CS:GO, and there is a good chance that they will play a larger role in the success of their teams. Will there be a Lombardi Factor that transforms his team into something greater than what they could individually achieve? Or will coaching continue to be neglected? At the end of the year, we will measure them by what they do with what they have.Writer: Amazingxkcd Editors: Yamato Graphics: DavidScott CSS: FO-nTTaX The world is burning and you rather be on this terrible website discussing video games and your shallow feelings