Joel

Very uninformed narratives that are out of context are very dangerous. I am the first one to look after our player's psychological well-being. So, for those interested in a closer look at what we do and how much we care for our players, not for the short term but for their whole lives: High performing … in esports Sustaining high performance in esports isn’t easy, but it’s essential if we want players to enjoy long and successful careers. Success in esports isn’t just about the number of hours played. To develop and build their careers we need to nurture healthy habits around thinking, sleeping, moving, and eating. We never talk about restrictions or extremes! Focusing on players’ wants and needs is key to achieving longevity in esports. This means paying attention to not only their in-game skills but also how and when we introduce supportive routines and strategies. Small but smart choices can have a big impact on players’ performance and health over time. At G2 LoL team, we’re making a proactive effort to educate our players, so they can make well—informed decisions about their health. While we don’t have an onsite chef to personalize meals for each player, we’ve applied a science-based approach to support their overall well-being. This includes understanding how food, exercise, sleep, and emotional health impact important factors like attention, alertness, emotion regulation, self-esteem, and decision making: - Working with our catering systems by doing anamnesis (team members’ food preferences, allergies, etc.). - Work blood to be aware of any conditions. - Workshops on the influence of nutrition on performance and well-being internally and with our scientist experts at Redbull. - Created an environment where they learn to have a healthy relationship with food by learning to make their own informed choices. - Created the space to go to weekly team dinners of player’s favorite food. - Creating and understanding what short-term rewards vs long-term benefits of food choices could mean. All these focused on creating an understanding of balance and awareness around food. If a player feels they’re getting sick, yes, we recommend hot liquids like soups and teas. Before scrims or games, yes, we suggest eating light and nutritious meals that avoid high-processed foods and sugars, which can negatively impact focus, alertness, and emotion regulation. If players are feeling stressed or anxious, we provide support through approaches like acceptance commitment therapy, mindfulness, or cognitive behavioral therapy. Our players have full freedom over their food choices. They don’t have a surveillance system or similar to control what they eat. They do enjoy their favorite foods on a weekly basis, while we ensure the daily meals are as balanced as possible (lunch, snacks, dinner). With this approach, we have achieved: - Players have better relationships with food and performance anxiety-related issues. - Improved sleep by using food as a sleep quality-boosting strategy. - Awareness of what food is better and influential for their important moments and high pressure. - Awareness of what food should not be eaten or how much should be eaten before games or practice - Improved self-esteem and body composition metrics - More….. All these have been developed progressively during the last two years by careful understanding, listening, and commitment to a holistic approach. Want to inform yourself more about these topics and more about some of our approaches: - doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport… - doi.org/10.1080/10413200.202… - doi.org/10.1016/j.cpha.2022.… - doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-201… - doi.org/10.1055/a-0905-3103 - doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-… - doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.0… - doi.org/10.3390/nu15010149 - doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-82… - doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-82… - doi.org/10.1080/21520704.201… - ISBN 9781138624009