nycdaug Chapter 18: Is this all the vigilance a professional player has?
Chapter 18: Is this all the vigilance a professional player has?
The game has entered the loading screen.
Ten progress bars slowly climbed from zero to one hundred, and the avatars of the ten contestants were lined up in a row in the dim interface.
Taking advantage of this lull, Fu Shiyan gave the following instructions:
"I will not interfere with your actions for the first few minutes."
"Try to understand the playstyle of professional teams and see how it differs from that of casual ranked players."
"Don't be afraid of disadvantages, and don't hold back—go all out and fight against the opponent."
It's not about "staying calm" or "not giving up," but about "going all out."
The four young men paused for half a second, then responded one after another.
"OK!"
"no problem!"
"Hehe, Yan-ge, remember to gank bot lane if you have a big one!" Li Rui, who was very friendly in the bot lane, said with a mix of seriousness and apprehension, "I'm afraid we can't hold out for long."
The helpful words were like a needle, gently piercing the taut membrane that permeated the room.
Several people chuckled in unison, and the stiff lines on their shoulders relaxed.
They couldn't quite explain why, but they had a gut feeling that this teammate, who had challenged them to solo matches one by one upon first meeting and put them in a tough spot, and who the next day even presented them with a grueling training schedule as if to make them suffer, seemed like a completely different person once they entered the game.
His tone wasn't as cold anymore, and his brows weren't furrowed as much.
They are even... exceptionally easy to get along with.
Fu Shiyan immediately noticed the emotional changes in the young comrades.
From the tense shoulders during the loading screen, to the relaxed brows after hearing his words "Go for it!", and then to the teasing and proactive approach hidden in the bottom lane's "Remember to gank bot lane when you have your ultimate".
However, he didn't point it out, but just slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
In Fu Shiyan's coaching career creed, a truly top-notch coach is not simply someone who can study a few tactics and strategize on the drafting table.
While those things are important, there is something equally important for the esports industry – you also need to mentor these young people and find ways to help them achieve true maturity in both technical skills and mental fortitude.
Off the field, you can be strict, fierce, and throw out a training schedule to train them until they question their existence.
That's all for the sake of refining our edges and cultivating good habits; there's no room for negotiation.
But once they enter the competition arena, whether it's between players or between coaches and players, all the communication channels can only flow with positive voices.
Encouragement, reminders, affirmation, and trust—these are the only words that are allowed to pass.
As for why?
The reason couldn't be simpler.
Most esports players are very young teenagers.
Unlike traditional athletes, they do not possess mature values. Coupled with the unique working environment and the lack of emphasis from clubs, their protection in mental fortitude and perseverance, equally important aspects of competitive sports, is practically nonexistent.
What young players fear most in high-pressure competition is not operational mistakes, but a mental breakdown.
The more you criticize and point out his problems before the competition, the more tense he becomes, the more afraid he is of making mistakes, and the more likely he is to make mistakes.
However, once criticism, accusations, or even just indifferent silence appear on the field, his attention will quickly shift from "how to play this wave well" to "did I mess up again?"
This kind of internal friction is more fatal than any disadvantage in the laning phase.
Conversely, a coach can help the team build a culture of positive communication on the field.
Essentially, it's about building a safe haven for each player—telling them they can act boldly, make judgments, and fight hard, because they know there will always be a voice behind them responding and providing a safety net.
Once this sense of psychological security is established, the collaborative efficiency among the five people will increase exponentially.
A team that dares to fight and report, and supports each other, often performs far beyond its theoretical capabilities.
Furthermore, if the competition is still about dredging up old grievances, nitpicking details, and assigning blame, then it's not a competition, but a criticism session.
Fu Shiyan has always believed in one principle: no matter how big the matter is, it must wait until the game is over before discussing it.
If you win, you can analyze where you could have done better; if you lose, you have plenty of time to reflect.
But every second of the game can only be used to do one thing—win the current round.
Especially these four young people, who had never played professionally before and had never received any proper professional training.
From the very first meeting, Fu Shiyan had already put immense pressure on everyone outside the game—soloing each other, setting rules, and throwing out training schedules; he didn't miss a single moment of playing the stern cop.
If you continue to act like a stress monster after entering the game, then you're really not human.
"Tsk..." He leaned back in his chair, silently thinking, "Come to think of it, this should be the first time I've sat in front of a computer and played a training match as a player since I left the competition many years ago."
From retirement to coaching and then to a rebirth, an entire era passed in between.
During this period, Rank has maximized his physical talent – his reaction time, hand speed, and micro-management are gradually regaining and even surpassing the feeling he had back then.
However, he has not fully recovered in terms of professional thinking.
The reading ability, strategic anticipation, and rhythm control of professional players... these things, unlike mechanical skills, cannot be developed through solo queue practice.
It needs to be reactivated little by little through real confrontation.
Just then, the Summoner's Rift screen lit up in front of me.
Fu Shiyan immediately regained his composure and focused his attention back on the game.
……
"Heyang, Lirui, you two come with me."
The moment he entered the game, his fingers flew across the keyboard, and he instantly bought a Doran's Ring and two health potions. With a flick of the mouse, Twisted Fate's portrait headed straight for the bottom lane bush.
"Should we do a level 1 team fight?" Li Rui asked curiously.
"I won't fight," Fu Shiyan said succinctly. "I'll just help you deplete some of your health."
This isn't Li Rui cosplaying as a curious child—in reality, professional teams rarely engage in level 1 team fights during scrimmages.
The strategy for a level 1 team fight is to be unexpected and to seize an early advantage in order to win the game.
But training matches aren't official matches, so what if you win a level 1 team fight?
It's not like winning counts as points.
Besides, once a tactic is used, it means it's been remembered, and the other side will be on guard, making it difficult to use it again in the future.
Why did Fu Shiyan still do this?
It's clear that they had their own considerations.
Fu Shiyan had briefly looked into the information about ADG after their manager extended an invitation to him last night.
Their team ranked in the top five of the LSPL Summer Split, and their style is very traditional, with the top laner taking the damage, the jungler and support initiating team fights, and the two carries dealing damage in the final team fights.
And Jinjiao, the AD carry, is one of the core players of ADG.
He wanted to use this crouching position to give a simple assessment of the professional strength of LSPL league players.
Of course, this also reduces the difficulty for the two teammates in the bottom lane.
Their individual skill level was already low, and they were facing off against Vayne and Nami in a matchup with Twitch and Braum. If they didn't get any support in the early game, they could really be wiped out in just a few minutes.
I'll help in any way I can.
Fu Shiyan controlled the card to sneak into the bushes along the wall, his eyes fixed on the direction of the Blue Buff entrance on the other side, silently counting the time in his mind.
A few minutes later.
Almost simultaneously, gasps of surprise rang out in the training rooms of both ADG and BJBS teams.
"Damn it...who's the good guy who camps at the start of a practice match?!"
"No way, is this all the alertness a professional player in the secondary league has?"