I feel like players often have no clue what they are getting into when they commit to a CSGO team. Oftentimes, it is like watching a pro sport like basketball. We see the game being played out and we see some of the luxurious lifestyles that the players live, but we are not mindful of the fact that they have worked very hard and that they continue to work rigorously to maintain both their skill level and their lifestyle. Thus, I feel like an article detailing the commitments that you will need to agree to when you join a team.





Scheduling/Promptness

Scheduling is related to a lot of the other points I will bring up. The point is, if you're going to commit to playing for a team, you have to have a consistent schedule that you can say to your team leader. If you're unable to schedule practices, demo watching, and matches consistently, no matter how talented you are, you won't be able to stay on a team due to your scheduling issues. Hand in hand with that is your promptness. If you say you are going to show up to something, make sure to show up on time and ready to play. Nothing irks teammates and other teams more than the players not showing up on time and having to go through the hassle of either canceling or calling a sub. Make sure to show up.



A helpful tool for scheduling: whenisgood

Commitment Level

This differs from team to team, but you need to be aware of your team's commitment level and whether it matches with your future goals and your desires. If you're playing with friends to have a more casual, fun time, be aware that your skill level might not improve much and that you may not hold as many practices and scrims as a more serious team would. If you're playing to get seriously better, you might want to communicate that to the team you are joining and see if their motivations lie in the same vein as yours. Be prepared for a heavy workload in terms of practice and just be wary. The key here is to fit your desires and choose accordingly.



Teamwork

There is a reason why after making a roster shuffle, pro teams are given a few weeks-months of adjustment period, where the organization will allow them time to figure things out. This is because teams need time to develop chemistry/teamwork. Playing with four other people is not easy. You will all have different ways of playing, different thought processes, and differing levels of commitment. In addition to that, you can't all be best friends; some of you will have different stuff they like to do outside the game that others might not share. Be prepared to undergo the process of coexisting with 4 other players on a team and juggle all the personalities that come with it. In the end, team chemistry is something extremely hard to build, but extremely satisfying to achieve.





Making Sacrifices

Making sacrifices is inherently tough, tossing away one opportunity for the sake of another. If you commit to a team, you will have to make some sacrifices in other areas of your life simply due to the time that will be swallowed from playing on a team. There will be tough decisions to be made along the way both in game and out of game, but you will have to realize that at some point, you have to make these decisions. Sacrificing your statistics to make the team better, giving up your favorite position in order to gel with the team, not having time to hang out with your friends due to practicing CSGO; these are all fairly common. Finding balance in your life is important, so try to juggle your responsibilities as best as you can. Keep this in the back of your mind when you decide to join a team.



Weigh your options before choosing something

Conclusion

There are plenty of other things that you might have to keep in mind when joining a team, but these are among the most pertinent. This article is not meant to scare you off from joining a team; it is rather a warning for the people who think that joining a team is no big deal. I can confidently say that playing in a team was one of the nicest events of my life, but it came with many tribulations. However, if you have the dedication and drive, I can guarantee that it will be a fun experience in your CSGO journey.

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