[Reere]

Improving Your Mindset: Good Sportsmanship
by sawedust

Many of today's popular electronic sports rely on having a powerful community of players, industry professionals and fans to grow its popularity. Games such as StarCraft II, DotA 2, and League of Legends have cemented themselves as the most popular video games in this generation. While the majority of the community represent themselves in a decent, respectable manner, there are quite a few people out there who do not ascribe to the same philosophy.

Pro players with antagonistic characteristics such as StarCraft's Jang "MC" Min Chul, Johan "NaNiwa" Lucchesi and Greg "IdrA" Fields are entertaining to watch because of their polarizing personalities. Some fans may not realize that the hated person on screen is essentially a character that does not represent who that person really is. But when the character of the heel breaks the fourth wall, repercussions of a serious matter not only affects players, but teams, sponsors and the community as well.

While such actions have shaken the community to its core, it is unfortunate that many recreational players have been exhibiting this behavior in-games and on their personal streams as well. A recent Facebook post by Riot asking League of Legends players to describe their game resulted in "Worst. Community. Ever." receiving the most likes. In a team game like League of Legends inadequate skill can be carried by other teammates but dysfunctional communication, especially abusive speech and remarks to fellow teammates, usually results in a terrible experience for all players involved.

StarCraft II is not immune to such actions. Encountering bad manner players is a common occurrence in solo queues. Premature calling of "GG," trash talk and unnecessarily extending the game are three examples of poor sportsmanship being shown by these players. If you are one of these players, ask yourself the following questions:



What reasons do I have for justifying such behavior?

Is my bad manner something that I should be proud of?

What can I do to improve?



What reasons do I have for justifying such behavior?

Having intense love and passion for a game is admirable, but often times being successful takes precedence over enjoying the game and having fun. While a win may cause you to pump your fist and feel satisfied inside, a loss might trigger anger and disappointment. It is perfectly normal to have such feelings. But on the flip side of the table (pun intended), constantly taking out your anger on someone or something else that is unrelated to the game shows an inherent lack of self-control and immaturity. "Improving" your mood by berating others with slurs only fosters negativity, adding even more poison to the toxic part of the community.


Is my bad manner something that I should be proud of?

A little bit of self-reflection can go a long way. If you find yourself raging on stream often, what does that say about you as a person to your viewers? Is it giving them the appearance of a person they would love to be friends with in real life? Or is it showing them that you're someone who would get upset at the slightest thing? Many of the top streams feature pro-level players who have skill and innovative play, but some of the most-loved streams also feature players with a contagious positive personality who make the experience enjoyable for everyone involved. Two players that immediately come to mind are Manuel "Grubby" Schenkhuizen and Jeon "Dragon" Yeon Soo. Emulating the friendly and inviting attitudes of such players are a great way to improve your mindset.


What can I do to improve?

The first step is to realize that entertainment should first and foremost bring happiness, relaxation and joy in our daily lives. Adopting this view can help relieve any additional stress or pressure that you might be putting on yourself to succeed. If you're facing a nasty losing streak and on the verge of raging, quit playing and step away for a while. Refrain from any harsh or negative comments and replace them with positive ones, if possible. If you got cheesed by a 6-Pool, say "GG" and move on to the next game; there's no need to use your inability to counter and adapt to someone using a legitimate strategy as an excuse to endlessly harass the other player. The same goes for winning with a cheesy strategy; take your win and move on to the next game. Watch the way Grubby and Dragon portray themselves and interact with their fans on their streams and strive to adapt their positive mindsets into yours.


By starting with personal reflection and changing your own mindset from a negative one to a positive one, the gaming community will gradually improve. There will always be poor sports or negative people playing the games we love, but you don't have to be one of them. Play your best, enjoy the game, and have fun!



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