A career as an Esports player is not just about “gaming”, there is a lot of hard training too. Renato Montañés, the PostFinance Helix team’s personal trainer, mental coach, chef and nutrition advisor, and head coach NicoThePico show us what goes into this training.
In order to train the strategic understanding of how to deal with various game situations, the Esports players have to put themselves in situations where they are constantly confronted with new opponents, terrains and tasks etc., both as individuals and as a team. We prepare ourselves for these random, unpredictable situations by visualizing possible events and how to deal with them, for example, while at the same time getting a clear idea of our abilities and strengths.
The mental aspect is probably the most important of all. After all, it is the head which enables the body to take on and process new input. For our mental training we don’t just use meditation techniques, we also practise communicating clearly. And last but not least, we train how to manage situational pressure using a variety of techniques, such as breathing exercises. This way players learn how to relax, even in stressful situations, and keep their goals in focus at all times.
It is a widespread misconception that only training in the game can truly prepare you. It is also the reason why many semi-professionals do not give adequate consideration to the connection between body and mind. A very successful way to harmonize body and mind is to do physical exercises such as cross-training circuits and extended cardio sessions to improve circulation and oxygen levels in the body. Other techniques, such as precision training with balls that we throw against the wall, catch and then throw back against the wall as quickly as possible, help us to increase our reactions and coordination during the game.
Our success will also depend on whether we succeed in forging a good team from the individual Esports players. But how can you make individuals really work together? The best way is to continually place the team in situations where they have to overcome differences of opinion and find a common solution as a team. A well-known opportunity to do this, and one we also use, is trying an escape room as a team. However we also improve team skills through communication training in which we practise clearly describing and discussing situations and problems and formulating more specific feedback on situations.
Renato Montañés accompanies the PostFinance Helix team as a personal trainer, mental coach, chef and nutrition advisor.
NicoThePico is the head coach.
NicoThePico and Renato Montañés have devised a rigorous training routine comprising several different elements. The most important thing is the understanding that everything must work on a macro scale before they can work on the finer points. However they expect the players to take all aspects of the training as seriously as the gameplay practice.
