Coach Fabian Broich on practising outside the pixels in Esports

Success starts with a plan and then action. How do we structure our day? What time do we wake up, how do we prepare for work or practice or an upcoming meeting? What do you eat, and when, and and when do you take a break? Did you allot time to learn and grow, too?

Athletes work within paradigms like this all the time – plans, goals, rules, schedules – and competitive gamers are no different. Besides practising, Esports has shifted to looking at performance both inside and outside the game.

Key factors include technical ability, game IQ, the right gear, teamwork and communication. But over the last decade, things like physical fitness, mental and emotional health, nutrition, sleep, and recovery have become more and more prominent. Today I’ll be outlining the tools and tips I’ve used with teams like Astralis and Excel Esports to help outline a strong day-to-day schedule.

Starting your day right

First, wake up at a decent time. Long gone are the days of gaming until 2 a.m. if you’re going to go pro. I recommend drinking some fluids and coupled with 30 minutes of exercise outside. Receiving sunlight exposure within the first 2 hours of your morning will increase your mood while doing athletic activities will boost your alertness and stimulate your brain. Eating properly afterwards is also important. Say goodbye to Mtn. Dew and Doritos at the desk. Eat a hearty and healthy breakfast, like berries, oats, eggs, and avocado.

Fun fact: Many Esports teams now have fully-realised support staff in place to assist with these things, including nutritional and wellness coaches.

Preparing for Esports practice

After your meal, it’s important to set your goal for the day. It could be your communication, some execution of a specific skill, or an overall strategy to implement. Because you already kicked off your morning with some exercise, your brain and body is alert and ready to play the first set of games. Additionally, the room should have a temperature around 17-20 degrees celsius (that’s 62-68 degrees fahrenheit), good air quality and plenty of light. Those factors being off can distract you while you practice, so setting up the best possible environment for you to succeed in is vital.

Additionally, making sure your gear is correct can make a huge difference as well. Many, if not all pros, utilize at least their own keyboard, mouse, gamepad or fight stick when competing. Is it any different than Lionel Messi using the correct cleats, or Tom Brady putting on the right shoulder pads? The gear used allows for mental comfort and familiarity. Utilizing a mouse with adjustable DPI, a monitor with a refresh rate of 144hz or better, and an ergonomic chair not only keeps you comfortable, but lets you focus on the game.

Take breaks to keep focus and maintain energy in Esports

You’ve heard about taking breaks at work – getting up, walking around every hour for a few minutes. This applies to gaming, too.

Depending on what game you play, matches vary from 12 to 60 minutes – or longer. When it's game time, it's game time but after a game it is beneficial to go outside, get some fresh air, stand up and stretch a bit. Always being locked in will not yield better results.

During the day it's very important to drink enough fluids (water, generally) but also keep your energy up with some healthy snacking. Grab some nuts and fruits like almonds and berries to get the nutrients you need to stay focused and energised. You’ll avoid sugar crashes you’d normally get from energy drinks and candy, allowing you to keep practising at a higher level.

Esports learning and growing

Goals keep you focused and give you purpose. Remember earlier in the day when you wrote down what you want to work on? There’s a second step to that.

Writing down notes after games and being able to reflect on what you have done will elevate your progress speed. After the end of the practice day, writing down a little summary and some positive things you have learned or experienced will help your motivation and increase your enjoyment.

Growing that self-awareness will pay off in your play. For example, FIFA games can be very emotionally draining – you can hit the crossbar or post, for example, which can be quite tilting. As long as the ball is in play keep your eyes on it, but when the opportunity presents itself, take a moment to re-center yourself. For example, when the ball goes out of bounds, or when you call a substitution, you have a moment to calm down, to get back to your game plan. Staying emotionally stable is key to perform consistently under pressure.

Relaxing and recovering in Esports

Practice days can be long. You should have a set time to stop practice, but if you’re tired before hand, that may be a signal to stop a little early. Playing a lot of games doesn't mean you will get a lot out of it. Understand yourself and make sure to try to stop playing one hour before your bedtime.

As Esports continues to grow, so do the systems adopted and implemented. There are an increasing number of players who have turned their hobby into a profession in recent years, and Esports has given another avenue for players to turn their passion into a profession. It’s not all fun and games, but deliberate practice and a diligent work ethic will let you optimise improvement and hit that next level.

Fabian Broich is the founder of Achieveminds, an Esports performance agency. He is currently working with some of the best players and teams in the world in Esports. Previously he was the Head of Performance at Excel Esports. The British Esports organisation Excel competes amongst the best Esports teams in the world. Previously, the former professional football goalkeeper, worked for pro football club Schalke 04 and for Astralis, which is one of the most successful Esports organizations in the world. He has a B.A. in Psychology (Winthrop University, US) and a M.Sc. in Psychology of Sports and Exercise (German Sports University of Cologne, GER) The 32-year-old German focuses on a holistic performance approach integrating sleep, physical activity, nutrition and sports psychology into the new field of Esports.