8 Changes LCS Teams Can Make to Improve the League in 2021
By Josh Tyler
After another failure on the international stage, LCS organizations need to make some changes if they hope to improve in 2021.
1. Redefine the Coaching Position
With one of the biggest discussion points around the LCS currently being the qualifications of coaches, it’s time that LCS teams re-evaluate what exactly they want their coaches to do. Right now, it’s assumed that coaches should be teaching players macro strategies and teamwork, but a tweet by CLG jungler Wiggily inadvertently exposes why this role is kind of incorrect for the LCS teams.
Most NA coaches just regurgitate whatever the smartest player on their team is saying and don't challenge or push them forward together. It ends up being a cycle of players teaching other players through these coaches and the coaches themselves doing nothing
— Ray Griffin (@lol_Wiggily) October 21, 2020
In regions like Korea, China, or even Europe, coaches are veterans of League of Legends or gaming in general, and are given respect in their decisions. On the other hand, in NA coaches seem to be presumed to be less knowledgable about the game than the players they are coaching, to be used more as a sounding board for the team in discussions.
I don’t think this logic is necessarily incorrect, given that the players on the Rift are among the best in the world and if the coaches were good enough to be pro players…they would be. But players need to see the value of their coaches and that just doesn’t appear to be as strong in the West and specifically NA, where there are few universally respected coaches.
So, I would propose that LCS teams view their coaching staff less as instructors of gameplay and more instructors of mindset and structure. Coaches should exist to hold players accountable for mistakes, make sure discussions are productive, and make sure the team is bought in to one, unified vision.
If that seems similar to what coaches are doing now in NA, the key distinction I would make is that coaches should rarely be dictating, or even discussing, what players do in game. Instead, they should be focused more on preparation, coaching good habits and discipline, and teaching the team to effectively problem solve in game. This is done through practice, which also needs to be re-evaluated.