Online psychological work with esports teams: experiences in Vodafone Giants

Abstract

Electronic sports (esports) and their rapid growth have caused the appearance of new professionals who work to improve performance of their players. Many teams do not always have all their players training and competing in the same physical place, but have them playing remotely from their homes. Because of this, professionals working in the area should adapt and take advantage of the opportunities that this entails. In this article, I share my experience as sports psychologist of one of the most important esports clubs in Spain (Vodafone Giants). As this is an extensive club with players in different parts of Spain and different countries, part of my work is done online. Work on improving group communication and psychological skills of the coach stands out as a way of contributing to more efficient interactions and performance of players and staff. Despite the challenges involved, remote intervention has not been found to have a negative effect, allows for effective sessions, and has facilitated inclusion of the figure of the psychologist in esports.