Recently I've seen the numbers of teams popping up with Diamond rosters and players looking for teams in diamond or below leagues.
Just want to real talk with y'all for a sec...
Clans = A collective of like-minded people that play under the same tag and form a group bond because of the shared tag.
Team = Much like a clan, but they are sponsored by tech companies etc to play a game at a competitive/noticeable level.
If you are Diamond or below, you are not that rare. You're not really good at the game and you'll never (at your current level) win a tournament. Now I'm all for an Academy team that learn from more experienced players and develops the scene, that is great. But by no means should these Academy players expect sponsorship nor should they receive it. Sponsors want return on investment, they want to give a team something in order for that team to use the resources provided in order to generate marketing exposure for the sponsor.
For example; If I give some random guy a bottle of Coke and tell him to go stand on bondi beach with his shirt off and drink the coke, about 2 people notice that this dude is drinking coke and their reaction is 'that guy has coke, good for him'. Now, if I give Brad Pitt a bottle of Coke and tell him to do exactly the same thing, about a million people will see him (or an image of him) drinking the coke and they will, not only realise he has this delicious drink, but also that he is cool, bondi is cool and maybe drinking coke is also cool and desirable?!!
Do you see what I am trying to say here?
Please, stop making teams filled with Diamond and below players and thinking you'll be able to develop a new team and make it big in eSports with sick sponsorships and moutains of free swag. If you want to make a team, look at teams like eCKo and Silicon. Both set up by individuals willing to put in time to develop their talent to the top level (from people that were already scratching at the surface of the top) and invest their own hard earned cash to get their team off the ground. Once those teams started getting some traction and exposure, then (and only then) did any of them get a look in with sponsors and potential sponsors.
So please, take a second and look at what the practicalities of eSports is and what really needs to happen for teams to become successful and earn sponsorship.
That said, if anyone ever has serious questions about eSports, teams and sponsorship. I am always willing to give you my thoughts, suggestions and assistance.
this seems a little harsh especially to people who have been stuck in diamond for a while and commited a lot to this game but i agree with your main point. one of the reasons i dont join any teams is because i dont feel like i can put results down and thats really what sponsors want from a team
I am being particularly harsh for the sake of the point I'm trying to make. Also, consider that the viewpoint held by those that have something to give in terms of sponsorship.. You're bit of skill and commitment doesn't mean much when they are trying to run a profitable business.
Only just read this after hearing it via others. Completely on point, I think "team" managers set the bar too high initially, when they should perhaps start as a small clan and attempt to foster player growth.
I agree with everyone and I'm sad how few professional teams there are. There's some of great examples of how to start a team, and plenty of examples of what to avoid, but people still seem to insist on stumbling forward blindly. I honestly didn't realize Ascension existed until team revolt disbanded. I've probably been on the thread before; most likely I looked at the roster, thought "meh" and then completely disregarded them. Personally, I thought my stint on ecko was unexpectedly good, with some results that stand out. However, even players that are much better than me doesn't really produce much value to a team, and because of that I'm always reluctant in joining one, even if I'm in shape. I know it can feel "cool" to join a "professional" team, but the reality is most teams fail. If you're diamond and a team wants you, it's much more likely to fail spectacularly.
Unless you somehow luck out on a sponsorship (which is much, much harder than it seems), a team improves at a glacial pace. There's a lot of loyalty expected and a lot of loyalty needed if you want to be part of a team you can be genuinely proud of, and this means you really want to get to know the team before you join. Talk to people knowledgeable about the scene, talk to people that know their sponsors and manager, talk to the players you know (I don't recommend joining a team without players you know) and finally talk to the manager about the team structure, what they expect of you, what you can expect of them, of your aspirations and goals and the future path the team is going to take. I genuinely hope a few more teams will make it out of the incredibly difficult first stages. I loved being in a team, I loved playing for a team and I loved playing CWs against other teams, but all that is only possible with the high standards successful teams currently have.
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