Two OU Esports coaches acquired official certifications, paid for by the varsity, forward of the 2024-2025 aggressive season, marking a step ahead within the progress of OU’s esports program.
Logan “SilentFoxx” Fox, Apex Legends coach, and John “Popcorn” Morgan, Valorant coach, accomplished the certification course of on September 13. The eight-week course hosted by FITGMR noticed the coaches hone their philosophy and technique by way of coursework and sensible evaluation.
“One factor in regards to the course that I actually needed to make investments a whole lot of time in was understanding and defining the applying of aggressive gaming in real-world eventualities,” Fox stated. “It wasn’t a fast course of, however it was positively value it for the depth of data and credentials I gained.”
As OU Esports continues to develop, the group plans to get extra coaches licensed. Based on Jacob “Oculus” Ross, OU Esports neighborhood and labs coordinator, they hope to have all OU Esports coaches licensed inside two years.
“It’s yet one more step to getting out of the novice or ‘ardour’ levels of the enterprise and into the extra skilled and well-respected realms,” Ross stated. “Each trade builds their requirements; that is yet one more customary we’re constructing.”
In 2020, Cloud9 created the Cloud9 Coaching Grounds, which was acquired by FITGMR in 2022. This system teaches management, psychological conditioning and life-style coaching, amongst different beneficial teaching expertise. Fox and Morgan attribute their respective groups’ sturdy player-coach bonds to the abilities they discovered within the FITGMR program.
“The information and expertise I gained have remodeled how I construction tryouts and choose gamers,” Morgan stated. “Most significantly, the certification has enhanced my capacity to develop gamers each inside and out of doors the sport, permitting me to assist their progress extra successfully than ever earlier than.”
Fox and Morgan are nonetheless seeing advantages from their participation within the coaching course, even post-certification. The coaches have entry to superior coaching alternatives and a big community of different licensed coaches each on the collegiate {and professional} ranges.
“This helps me carry extra structured and evidence-based strategies to our staff,” Fox stated. “Additionally, the license validates our coaching packages and might instill extra confidence in our gamers and potential sponsors.”
OU Apex Legends started enjoying within the Octane Collegiate Esports League on September 21. OU Valorant will start play within the Energy Esports Convention on Wednesday, September 25. Wanting ahead, Morgan hopes the brand new methods and training philosophies he picked up throughout his coaching will assist the Valorant staff get pleasure from aggressive play extra.
“Final yr, our intense concentrate on successful generally took away from having fun with the sport and the worth of our staff’s friendships,” Morgan stated. “This season, I need to be certain that everybody appreciates the place we’re, cherishes the moments, and understands that whereas successful is essential, it’s not all the things.”
For all issues OU Esports, go to the Sooner Esports web site. Go right here to search out out extra in regards to the FITGMR Coach Growth Program.
