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 development 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 lots of time in was understanding and defining the applying of aggressive gaming in real-world situations,” Fox stated. “It wasn’t a fast course of, but it surely was positively price it for the depth of information 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 another step to getting out of the beginner or ‘ardour’ phases of the enterprise and into the extra skilled and well-respected realms,” Ross stated. “Each trade builds their requirements; that is another commonplace 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 priceless teaching expertise. Fox and Morgan attribute their respective groups’ robust player-coach bonds to the talents they realized within the FITGMR program.
“The information and expertise I gained have reworked how I construction tryouts and choose gamers,” Morgan stated. “Most significantly, the certification has enhanced my potential to develop gamers each inside and outdoors the sport, permitting me to assist their development 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 deliver extra structured and evidence-based methods to our group,” Fox stated. “Additionally, the license validates our coaching applications and may instill extra confidence in our gamers and potential sponsors.”
OU Apex Legends started taking part in within the Octane Collegiate Esports League on September 21. OU Valorant will start play within the Energy Esports Convention on Wednesday, September 25. Trying ahead, Morgan hopes the brand new methods and training philosophies he picked up throughout his coaching will assist the Valorant group get pleasure from aggressive play extra.
“Final 12 months, our intense deal with successful generally took away from having fun with the sport and the worth of our group’s friendships,” Morgan stated. “This season, I wish to be sure that everybody appreciates the place we’re, cherishes the moments, and understands that whereas successful is necessary, it’s not every thing.”
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.
