Coaches essential to the growth of eSports

There is no doubt that for a game to grow, there must be a general groundswell of interest in the game if it is to develop as a sport.

But, is that enough?

I mean, just because there are people who are interested in playing the game, does that mean that the game will develop as a sport?

No, not at all!

The initial interest in the game being played, may be just a fad, or remain as just a game being played on a recreational level without ever moving upwards to become a truly competitive sport.

Of course there are many who are content with games just being around as a recreation, but there are those who want to see games played on a more competitive level, and who want to push themselves to the nth degree to demonstrate their mastery over the game.

So what is the catalyst to make games into a sport?

The way that I see it, gaming is no different from the traditional sports.

For many years the traditional sports were played on a truly amateur basis, but the sports grew from strength to strength even without huge injections of money.

So what then created the impetus for growth?

The way I see it is that it was the coaches who provided the impetus. Sport is in many ways no different from the automobile industry..

In the automobile industry, the manufacturer makes the product, and then advertises the product in the attempt to enable sales.

The dealer then sells the car, and sometimes very aggressively, as it is in the dealers interest to make sure that the brand is protected and that events take place to further recruit customers.

So is it with sport!

The National Federation creates the environment that is conducive to growth. Through its dealings with government, accreditation of events, and selection of teams (to mention but a few), the National Federations take on the role as the manufacturer.

However, it is the coaches that take on the role of the 'dealer'.

The coach has a single-minded approach to the survival of the game as a sport. It is through the promotion of the game that the coach earns his/her living. It is in the pursuit of earning a living that the coach will attract more players to the game. It is through the coach's abilities that players will improve and thus make a name for the coach.

Thus is eSports is to truly become a sustainable sport in South Africa, their has to be the development of professional coaching!

Gone are the days of coaching being done on a ad hocnature with advice being freely given.

Coaching must be professional, and gamers must be prepared to pay for it!

When South Africa has professional coaches in South Africa, I guarantee that there will be a remarkable improvement in the average standard of play.

Then you will see foreign players queuing up to play in the MSSA's MWEB Provincial and National Championships.