I'm happy to share with you my Master's Thesis from 2019 about
#psychological
needs for optimal
#performance
in
#esports
. Initially I was going to publish the paper with my supervisor
@Alejo_GNaveira
, but life happened and here it is, free access:
I can finally post some snippets from our
@MovistarKOI
Bootcamp in Madrid. What a pleasure it was to work with the team alongside
@Jake_MadViking
. They are open-minded, grateful, driven, disciplined and HUNGRY to grow this year and prove themselves.
Ilusión is real 🤩
Legend with a silent j
@jLcsgo_
Your MVP of the first CS2 Major.
🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
What a pleasure it is to see this young man grow in & out of game and kill the competition.
Misogyny is deeply rooted in our society and causing big damage at all levels.
If you don't object on this type of behavior (or more subtle comments) when you witness it - you're a part of the problem.
Saddening to see the amount of
#sexism
in esports community. It's worrying.
La preparación para
#Worlds2020
empezó el primer día de la temporada y no cuando llegaron al hotel. Me gustaría aclarar que estar confinados no significa que van a jugar 16h al día y que existe plan de afrontamiento para el asilamiento porque si, es relevante. No son máquinas.
No me parece tan tan relevante que los que participan en Worlds tengan que estar aislados en una habitación individual durante dos semanas teniendo en cuenta que van a dedicar prácticamente todo el tiempo a entrenar para el mundial.
I love this team😂😂This video is a realistic representation of the vibes in the team. I had a pleasure of getting to know them at the Bootcamp in Madrid and setting up the team culture fundamentals together with
@Jake_MadViking
. ILUSIÓN !!
Today in the bootcamp with CS we're celebrating double birthday
@BuzzCS
and
@somedieyoungCS
who unfortunately can't be with us due to the war in Ukraine. Hopefully we made Viktor's day a tiny bit better and Christian has enjoyed the cake for both. 😋 🥳
@MADLions
We might be rivals on the paper, but we are totally united on a front of pioneering health practices in
#esports
and I can't be happier about that.
#LEC
finals might give us a necessary leverage to spread awareness further!
Let's have some fun on the rift&of course...
#MADWIN
🦁
This
#LEC
finals are a statement from two organizations that have invested more into players’ & coaches’ health & well-being as an approach to performance.
This should be the norm for esports.
@martina_cubric
happy to see the work paying of.
Que gane el mejor!
#RGEWIN
Tell me the last time you saw this kind of a tweet from a pro player after a loss.
This speaks to the work behind the scenes and the team cohesion that exists in
@MovistarKOI
.
You'll go far 💕
Estos últimos días hemos estado a tope con la preparación mental de
@JraLion10
para el FUT champions Cup en Bucarest. A parte de que es una bestia en el gimnasio, ha aprendido a utilizar algunas prácticas de mindfulness para (re)enfocar su atención mediante (...)
@MADLionsEC
Vamos a poner un supuesto práctico:
Tenemos 5 estrellas individuales que acaban de formar un equipo. Cada uno llega con unos conocimentos magníficos. Eso significa que van a ser el mejor equipo y ganar Worlds?🤔
N..O...Qué ejemplos tenemos?
Aquí está.
De momento, el mejor resumen que he podido hacer sobre mi carrera como
#psic
óloga deportiva en
#esports
.
Espero que se animen verlo no sólo los psicólogos sino gente de fuera de la profesión. Sin vosotros no podemos ver una mejora sostenible.
Officially finished Masters in Sports Psychology by presenting research on eSports optimal performance. It is a topic I'm highly invested in and there is much more to learn about eSports and the population of gamers. Next step is to use the findings in the work with pro gamers 😃
For the first time in 2+ years of working together, MAD Lions
#Performance
Staff meet face to face!! 😍
It was a great opportunity to talk about milestones we have achieved together and work on-site with our CS team.
Here goes a little summary of our journey so far. 🙂🦁
What a day for
@MADLions
. Our
#LEC
team is a back-to-back champion🤩Additionally, our
#CSGO
team achieved the greatest result so far with this roster and things are looking promising.
We have some crazy leaders at the helm of our teams and players are just popping off.
#MADWIN
Our
#LEC
team in the finals for the first time!!! 😍🦁
This image just showcases this team beautifully. Look at that embrace. Just look closely. That is a unit. These guys have their eyes set on the improvement and nothing else and look where it took us. Amazed🤩
First day of LEC Bootcamp finished. 🦁 General introductions, escape room observation, marshmallow challenge and lots of fun
#teambuilding
activities. Setting up a tone for this new season with awesome staff who lead and show by example.
@MADLions_LoLEN
2nd day of
#LEC
Bootcamp with
@MADLions_LoLEN
done. On the menu:
#Sportspsychology
basics & individual assessments to identify profiles so as to better fit their needs. Obviously, a highlight of the day for players was playing first scrims together. Passion for LoL on 🔥 😄
I love my fucking job. With each meeting, session or individual talk I'm realising more how much our players are growing as people, on top of improving their gaming skills. I am so grateful to have an opportunity in supporting our lion pride 🦁
@MADLions_LoLEN
@MADLions_LoLES
💛
Let's frame this, please.
@MacCLol
speaking up about
#mentalhealth
, stress and
#burnout
in
#esports
industry in front of hundreds of thousands of people. I hope some org leaders started itching after this...
Bravo Mac for showing the way and being a voice of the change 💛
I have huge respect for
@MacCLol
for sharing his thoughts on burnout, recovery from burnout, and how we discuss and highlight the subject of burnout
The way MAD Lions as a team and an organization built back and rose throughout the
#LEC
summer season has honestly been admirable
CSGO player taking a break from gaming due to burnout symptoms.I wonder what they did apart from taking breaks, it could be an important vicarious learning experience for many teams who take
@astralisgg
as a leading example.
@MADLions_LoLEN
tries to implement different strats ⬇️
It's pure joy to be a part of this team. 😍 What a great way to end our bootcamp, winners of EU Championship and classified for
#BLASTPremier
.
It's been 12 days of intense, but purposeful work mixed with teambuilding activities. Energy with these guys is on another level. 🤩
What a story! Incredible summary of a long journey that took Movistar to this moment of glory, probably not the last one judging by the process they're following. 😃
@sensguino
@LuisDeilor
👏👏👏 Always happy to see performance staff forming part of team success. Bravísimo!
It's been three and a half years from this and I never got to share my work😳 Long overdue, but never too late I guess - In the light of the upcoming holiday sharing season I will publish my thesis on ResearchGate instead of jumping through the hoops of scientific publications.
Officially finished Masters in Sports Psychology by presenting research on eSports optimal performance. It is a topic I'm highly invested in and there is much more to learn about eSports and the population of gamers. Next step is to use the findings in the work with pro gamers 😃
Reporter:"Do you get some mental coaching in preparation?"
S1mple:"Yes, every day we work with our coach Gleb (psychologist), he helps me personally a lot and my team. He makes a lot of impact. Every time before the game we talk and try to get more focused."
#CSGO
#psychology
"Thank you guys. Even for trash talkers because it makes me stronger."
Nothing but respect and admiration for
@s1mpleO
, a deserving MVP award!
🐐🐐🐐
#BLASTPremier
Welcome King
@DylanEnvoy
👑
It's already clear that Dylan brings much more to a team than just pure fire power, excited to get to work with our squad soon! 🔥
Duša od čovjeka. 💔
So many great memories with this guy, one of a kind...
He made everything easier, funnier, and brighter. I'm grateful for having been a part of his path.
I can't believe I'm writing this...
You left a mark, Pavle. RIP 24/11/2021
Morning session with
@MADLions_LoLES
setting the tone for a new week of practice. In their words: "Mistakes are a form of improvement and we want to be supportive and respect each other on our way up." 💪
#teamchemistry
recipe: ➡️Sharing ➡️Applying ➡️ Evaluating 🔂 🦁🧠
This is the first time I hear a professional gamer vouching for 'less playing'. Congrats to the team behind!
If more pro players would choose to share these insights (or at least try in the first place...) the impact on the younger ones would be huge.
#responsibility
"I would play as much as humanly possible, then
@SportsPsycFaBro
introduced me to taking breaks. I was actually getting better because I was more relaxed and better rested."
Everyone needs time away from the game.
@patriklol
discusses how this really helped him.
Publicamos el curso sobre la
#psicolog
ía en
#esports
y no puedo ser más felíz por compartirlo con mis tres colegas, a la vez rivales 😋 Somos conscientes que no hay muchos psicólogos que trabajen en clubes como parte integral del equipo y queremos compartir nuestra experiencia🙂
This year/split is a hard pill to swallow considering our results & performance in MAD Lions Academy.
On the personal side, I had a chance to work alongside great human beings and I'm grateful for their effort and companionship.
On the professional side,
Yesterday was an amazing day for
#esports
& League of Legends because the finals between
@ROGUE
&
@MADLions_CSEN
is a proof that investing in people,
#culture
and health practices is THE way for long-term success. MAD got the Finals trophy & Rogue Best Coaching team award! 😍
The Bible of coaching in
#esports
represented in one man ➡️
@MacCLol
🙌 "You don't win championships on the day of your final match, you win championships NOW, every single day you put in the work."
We don't wanna be no shooting stars🌠we wanna keep on shining🌟
@MADLions_LoLEN
.
@MADLions_LoLEN
just can’t stop winning! 👑
Coach
@MacCLol
tells us why this is his “Dream Team” to work with.
Plus, he says: “Everyone is sleeping on
@OromeLoL
, he deserves more recognition” 🕶️
Grateful and humbled to have been invited to share my take on the topic of
#age
and
#motivation
in CS with some of top-notch
#sports
#psychologists
in the
#esports
scene. 🤩 Worth reading till the end (- check full interviews with those who participated). 🙂
I'm glad that Paolo has pointed this out, and yes, apart from respecting each other, I believe that Isma, I and many more sports psychologists are working on the same front. Sure, we're rivals on paper but we're working on creating better conditions for the generations to come.
Important fact:
In her presentation, Martina used an image of
@IsmaPedraza
as a clear example of professional that is capable to establish good relationships with the team. Wonderful to see how two top-tier professionals respect each other.
Had an insightful chat with Jake and Matt, thanks for having me
@AdamasEsports
! No fancy pro tips, as I always say, in order to make large strides on your path to pro you first need to make thousands of small steps in a form of a routine. 🙂
Our upcoming
#PathToPro
episode focuses on everything MENTAL HEALTH in esports.
@martina_cubric
spoke to setting routines for competitive players. They help establish consistency and maintain your energy for decisions that matter..
..perhaps you can take something from it! 💪💪
Tomorrow I will participate in the Mental Health Panel organized by
@ERN_Conference
. Couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to share some experiences and learn from these amazing panelists! Join us at at 12 o'clock▶️
🦁😁
Stories about climbing the ladder in League going from one extreme to another (gaming 14h/day for 2 weeks to have to stop for a week whatsoever, as an example) are tough to hear/watch. Why do we need to destroy ourselves to come to a point of reflection? :(
#esports
#health
1. Regular off days (1 or 2 per week in other MAD teams)
2. Sleep hygiene
3. 1on1s & feedback sessions
4. Realistic goal setting
5. Team building activities
6. Mindfulness techniques
7. Nutrition tweaks
8. Movement & mobility
9. Cultivating encouraging team culture
Little thread about worrying aspects of esports industry.
Facts:
-January 2021 Tian has decided to take a break due to stress overload.
- There have also been mentions of a wrist injury/health problems
Two issues that have the same core solution, and it's not a magical pill.
Highlights of GimGoon’s stream about Tian.
Tian’s wrist injury is serious and his body health isn’t good as well. His condition isn’t good as his body health isn’t good. He didn’t want to play it but the situation changed and he must play it. I think he tried his best.
El acoso a las mujeres en el mundo de los videojuegos aun es real, y no tenemos porque seguir sufriendo este tipo de comentarios.
Solo queremos jugar y disfrutar, y encontrarse esto, da pena.
Esta es una partida de hace mins. Ya no quiero jugar mas.
Se me han quitado las ganas.
Tras mi exposición en
@CopMadrid
sobre la
#psicolog
ía en
#esports
os dejo algunas imágenes para mostrar un poco sobre lo que ha tratado. Próximamente os dejo aquí el link con la exposición entera. Os preguntáis qué hace ahí un Yugo y un Rimac (coches)? Stay tuned 😋 🤗
What an exciting December! Finally got to catch a break between
@overactivegg
summit in Madrid+
@MADLions
LEC Bootcamp and COD
@TorontoUltra
preparation for the first Major in Raleigh. Still a lot to learn about COD ecosystem and this tournament I'll get a real good close up. :)
Hoy termino un proyecto ilusionante dedicado a la enseñanza de psicología de esports con niñxs de gran potencial.Quiero agradecer al staff de
@eSquad_academy
por la oportunidad y los alumnos por la atención y cariño. No es un adiós, es un hasta luego🙂
Big things coming up!😏
Mi primera mesa redonda en la jornada de psicología del deporte en el
@CopMadrid
. 🤩 Feliz por haber podido compartir mis conocimientos y experiencias con los demás profesionales. Gracias a gran
@Alejo_GNaveira
por haberme invitado y todos que han participado.
So, this is happening. 🤯
I can't put into words how humbled and grateful I am to be a part of such a panel. 🥺🥺
I invite all of you to join us and take notes cause I for sure will! 😄😍
#mentalhealth
in
#esports
First day back on track with our
#CSGO
team. Build up to develop a new season approach took some days of evaluation, adaptation and innovation across multiple meetings to meet our needs. There is SO MUCH work before the grind even begins. Excited to start again 🤩😀
What a tough way to end the season... Reaching finals is a success in itself, but for a team of warriors like
@TorontoUltra
that is not enough and it hurts like hell.
Now it's time to proces and put things into perspective so we can come back stronger.
This has been cookin' for some time now. 😏
SUPER excited to start this new project with people who trust the process and are willing to join a marathon in which we race our yesterday's version, . 🤩 Let's go
@MADLions_CSEN
🦁
La definición de como usar el poder mediático para el bien común. Un post no cambia las vidas, pero ver que tu ídolo también pasa por situaciones difíciles y es capaz de buscar ayuda puede ser un gran estímulo de movilización hacía el auto-cuidado y (auto)compasión. 😍
Primera vez que descanso bien en 2 semanas y solo esto me hace feliz para todo el día. Voy a priorizar por encima de cualquier cosa mi salud mental y mi descanso en 2021. Llevo yendo al psicólogo cuatro meses y no podía estar más feliz. No dudéis en buscar ayuda si lo necesitáis.
Congratulations to
@AdamasEsports
and all great people who work there for partnering with one of the biggest orgs out there. Shout out to
@TSM
for investing in
#mental
and
#physical
#health
of their members. Great steps for better
#esports
future. 😍
Feliz de ser parte de este nuevo proyecto con un coaching staff increíble.Durante 2 años, con cada equipo nos hemos estado acercando cada vez más a un enfoque holístico con los fundamentos bien establecidos. Apostamos por el desarrollo de los jugadores y confiamos en el proceso.
The team has reached the
#goal
that was set in the bootcamp!! It couldn't have gone without some struggles, but everyone found a way to reset and bring it home 2-1 against Anonymo. Here we come
#IEM
Fall 2021! 😁😁 So excited for this awesome group of humans 😍
@IsmaPedraza
Yes, yes, yes and yes!! 😍😍 I'm thrilled to see Rogue advancing to the finals exactly for that fact, this is already a huge success for both orgs and let's continue leading the way! :)
I'll add more to this list, aimed at
#esports
community:
Writing on social platforms during AM hours doesn't make you cool.
Talking/writing to team members outside of work hours sets standards that are hard to keep up with.
Huge problem is
#underrecovery
.
Sleeplessness is not a badge of honor. Watching film until 3am does not make you a hero.
When the head coach won’t go home, your staff feel like they can't go home.
This drives a culture of fatigue that not only diminishes the impact of your coaching, but all coaching.
Bravisimo. A must read for all org leaders, performance coaches, psychologists and all involved in organisational chart creation.
Without role clarity within teams we are creating unnecessary confusion where we should deliver structure and support.
One minor doubt I have ... ➡️
Last week I had a pleasure of giving a class about
#mentalhealth
in (e)sports at my dearest Segovia campus of
@IEuniversity
thanks to the invitation from the one and only
@pantxopaniagua
.In the making of the presentation,apart from crying like a baby,I got reminded of my WHY and
Congratulations on your performance and the whole process behind that made you into a formidable opponent on the rift. 👊
Our MAD staff & players showed up big time. This was a great day for esports & League of Legends. 😄
I’m so proud of the guys. The way how we came back from the obstacles this split, the preparation for the finals and the grow of everyone is visible. Though it was not enough for the title but be sure we are back at it in summer.
Gg
@MADLions_LoLEN
@MacCLol
@martina_cubric
On 11th April,
@MADLions
faced
@ROGUE
for the penultimate game of the
@LEC
Spring Finals.
In such moments, outcomes are determined at the margins.
Find out why two of the top LoL teams in Europe have embraced mindfulness practices, on page 21:
#ESJ8
When one team steps down, another one steps up. I'm especially happy for
@Guasones
making a huge leap as an organization to enter
#SuperLigaLol
. Having
@Dharind
as their sports psychologist has surely made a difference and it's a great example for orgs to follow.
Check out my blog post in which I talk about
#visualization
, a concentration enhancing technique with an example of
#basketball
. Esports professionals can easily adapt it, as it certainly proves to be a powerful tool for training and preparation.
#levelup
💛💛💛💛💛 De nuevo, gracias
@IbaiLlanos
por ser sincero, sin tapujos y compartir muchos principios importantes con los jóvenes (y no tan jóvenes :P) que te siguen. Una entrevista que sirve de inspiración, obviamente para mí también. 🤗
Just came to emphasize the importance of taking some time off and show my wonderful home country Croatia 🇭🇷. An active break with lots of hiking, swimming and exercise (&sleep!!) is what brings me inspiration and recharges my batteries to the fullest. What's your ideal vacation?
After the mental health panel (which was a banger! 😁) there are many important symposiums that will shed light on crucial topics we need to work on in esports teams. Tune in in 5mins and for the whole afternoon! :)
Great recommendations for conducting
#research
about
#esports
#performance
.
Over the past couple of years I've received an increased number of requests from researchers trying to gain access to pro players. Whether it worked out or not heavily depended on ... (cont.)
New citation of our
#esports
research:
"The Effects of Different Types of Training on Cognitive Performance in Professional Esports Players"
Full text:
Wouldn't want to let this go unnoticed. It's been a few months of tough results&obstacles. We revisited the plan, the whole team agreed on the steps ahead and worked their ass off while trusting the process. Nothing comes over night&accidentally. Proud of the team and so happy :)
Además, estamos hablando de 5 jugadores y 5+ staff por cada equipo que normalmente conviven con otras personas y nunca han estado en una situación parecida. No están ahí para sobrevivir sino para jugar el mejor LOL de sus vidas y disfrutar.
Man's humble, but oh so smart and hard working!
Check out Pad's interview and coupled with Mac's recent showing you can get a better insight on how united is the LEC coaching staff in their approaches (and maybe a glimpse of why is this team so freakin' good :).
#mentalhealth
A menudo recibo preguntas sobre mi labor en esports y siempre he intentado acercar mi experiencia profesional de forma individual e informal. Ahora por fin podré hacerlo con una metodología y más en profundidad gracias a la oportunidad del
@CopMadrid
. Mi objetivo es ... (1/2)
Congrats to
@DanielBonnar2
& his team on one of the first studies about
#sleep
in
#esports
.
Unsurprising results, late sleep onset, late chronotype, etc. What worries is the correlation between long training times (that affect sleep) and depression.
Muchas gracias por la invitación y la gran iniciativa de crear un espacio para aprendizaje sobre la industria de esports. 👏Es un placer poder compartir mi visión desde dentro para que los futuros directivos tengan en cuenta la figura de
#psic
ólogo del
#deporte
en
#esports
. 🙂
Os dejo las referencias científicas abajo. Es muy importante saber que 'power naps' dependen de muchas más variables de las mencionadas. Por ejemplo, privación de sueño, edad, hora del día, y la duración: 10, 20, 30 y algunos dicen 45min. Pruebalo y encuentra tu manera ideal! 😴
@martina_cubric
nos explica los beneficios del "POWER NAP" y cómo aplicarlo ✅
Pasaros por su instagram antes de que se vaya el directo de esta mañana:
Muchas gracias a todos los que os habéis pasado 😊
#JuegaSanoJuegaMejor
In general I really dislike interacting with any of the tweets that promote unhealthy sleep habits, but this one is on another level.
No money in the world will pay this guy's sleep debt. He won't be able to maintain this insanity much longer.If he continues he's risking (cont.)
Intervención y resolución de conflictos siempre formará parte del trabajo de los psicólogos deportivos. Aún así, el verdadero valor de nuestro trabajo está en la prevención que consiste en la observación, psicoeducación, seguimiento, - trabajo a largo plazo. 🛣️
Gracias Nacho! 🚀
"No somos APAGAFUEGOS" 👨🚒🚒
Nuestra figura va más allá de resolver problemas urgentes. Elaboramos un trabajo previo para poder prevenirlos en un futuro.
#PinceladasDeportivas
92k people watching, crème de la crème of Spanish esports, and 102k euros raised for
#SavetheChildren
organisation. Congrats
#Ibainefico
, organisers, participants, and kind people who donated money.
Power of esports, ladies and gentlemen 🤩
Interesting stuff cooking on this side of the pond... 😁
Introducing systems of performance that we use with our teams in Europe and adapting it to ULTRA culture to set good foundations for the upcoming season.
This team is 🔥 - passion showing through every pore.
Thich Nhat Hanh dies in peace at age 95. 😔 He brought mindfulness to the West and left us with innumerable valuable teachings. His lessons will stay with me forever. 🙏 In his name, take a few deep breaths right now and feel the energy of this miracle of life we're living.