Coaching a Professional Halo 3 Team

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Coaching 101 with Bravo

Coaching is a relatively new phenomenon here on the MLG Pro Circuit, requiring wit, talent, and determination to succeed. Whether you're a player looking to find a coach or a fan interested in becoming one, Bravo, the current coach of Triggers Down, is here to give some tips regarding coaches on the MLG Pro Circuit. Thanks to BIC Comfort 3® Advance®, the official shaver of MLG, you can check out Bravo's advice on coaching below.

Coaching 101

By: Bravo

As Major League Gaming has grown over the past years, so has the role of the Pro Circuit Coach. A coach has the potential to make an impact on every game at a tournament, which is why top teams rely on one who will help them focus on what’s important during the game.

Bravo

Being a coach
If you think that coaching sounds like something you might want to try, I would first suggest that you play the game for quite some time. Playing allows you to understand call-outs, spawns, common strategies, and the basic flow of the game. Without this fundamental knowledge, you can’t be of much help to your team. While at tournaments, take some time to watch coaches who have been around for a while. You can decide for yourself which styles you think work best and combine them into a style that suits your team.

In Halo 2, one of the reasons coaches became popular was because venues were full of screaming players, and the player on the far left of a team often had trouble hearing the player on the far right. With Halo 3, we have the luxury of Astro Gaming headsets at every station that allow for much clearer communication between players. As a result, the role of the coach has changed in Halo 3, but most pro players would agree that a coach has several primary responsibilities:

• Timing each power-up and power weapon
  This includes keeping track of every single one, even if your team is not controlling them the whole game. Getting a near-perfect estimate on an overshield time can make the difference between a win and loss. Your team is depending on you to keep track of times, and if you forget a time, it’s nobody’s fault but your own. If you feel that a timer or a sheet of times would help, use them.


• Ensuring that your team has everything covered
  Whether you’re running a flag on The Pit or waiting for camo on Guardian, it’s important to make sure the team is watching the right parts of the map. This goes back to knowledge of the game - you’ll need to be able to understand where players can and can’t spawn, and where opposing team members can be, all based on where your team is. Also, there are times to let your team know how many are dead, when to hold or drop ball, and when to slay rather than continue to run a flag. This can only come with playing and watching games.


• Keeping the team in the game
  I’ll go on to discuss this further, but coaches need to keep the team focused on the game and make sure that each player is communicating to the best of their ability. Just like a coach in any other sport, a gaming coach also serves as a motivator. It's part of your job to keep the team motivated to win. Many players get “in the zone,” and while they may be racking up headshots, they may forget to call things out during individual battles. Sometimes, the team needs to be reminded to keep up the communication or control a specific part of the map. Doing so can help your team gain and keep the advantage throughout the series.

These basic duties are expected of the coach, but in order to be as helpful as possible, many professional level coaches do much more. Consider these secondary responsibilities:

• Calling out opposing players
  The only reason this is secondary is because coaches need to be selective in the players that they call out. Calling out every single player you see on top of your teammate’s communication would result in absolute chaos, especially during the final minutes of a match. Things like one-shot kills and players in your base may need to be called out more than once, but knowing just how much to say will only come with time. Lastly, expect each team you work with to be a bit different, as some communicate more than others.


• Studying your team’s bracket and opposition
  VoD and fileshares are a coach’s best friend. I know myself and Lammie both watch hours and hours of gameplay before tournaments, taking note of what teams do in certain game types, and picking up on any tendencies they may have. This is another way to keep up with changes in how the game is played at the professional level, and the best way to practice outside of a LAN setting. Amateur coaches are still encouraged to watch VoD to improve their knowledge of the game, and to take note of how teams get out of spawn traps, break set-ups, etc.

If all of this sounds like a lot to keep track of, then you’re absolutely right! Coaching is a busy job, and you should constantly be checking the game timer while being mindful of your team’s positioning on the map. Coaches multi-task so that players don’t have to, and your team needs to be confident that you can motivate them, focus on map positions, and time weapons and power-ups all at once.

Finding a coach
When looking for a coach, you’re trying to find someone who will be dedicated to helping your team win games come tournament time. Many players advertise on the forums that they are a free agent looking to coach or play, but these players may just want to attend the event, and may not know the first thing about coaching. I’d suggest looking for an individual who is set on going to the event as a coach, and has put in some time to understand the role. Lastly, it’s a great idea to play with your coach online a few times, go over basic strategies, and make sure you use the same call-outs. Get to know your coach, and make sure he or she actually knows their stuff.

Personality wise, a coach should be confident, vocal, and easy going – the same traits you’d look for in a teammate. The coach needs to be able to get into the game without making the environment too intense. As I stated before, it is up to you to decide what type of coach your team needs. My coaching style is completely different on Triggers Down compared to how it was on Final Boss; it’s important that the coach recognizes what the team responds best to.

As with everything else in the MLG world, networking is the best way to find people to team with. I myself started coaching in the amateur bracket in Charlotte in 2007, and gave my all during each game. By the next event, I was lucky enough to be picked up by a pro team off of a recommendation from former teammates. Use the MLG and GameBattles recruitment areas on the forums, and always take the time to meet new people at LAN tournaments and MLG events. You never know when you’ll find the right combination for Pro Circuit success!

Hopefully new coaches and teams can take these tips into consideration when trying to find the best combination of players for a tournament. It is my hope that coaches continue to gain respect in MLG, and I look forward to seeing new coaches take the role to the next level!

For more, follow the author on TWITTER, @BravoMLG

SOURCE: http://www.mlgpro.com. May not be redistibuted without written permission from the author or Major League Gaming. Copyright 2009.