CS:GO

Interview with new coach and manager for CS:GO team

Our CS: GO line-up is currently training for the upcoming season. Jaroslav Chlumský took them under his wings after he became the coach and the manager of the team. We asked him about the atmosphere in the team, what are his ambitions and we also talked about his past in esports.

You had your first official training on Wednesday. How did it go?

The first training went well, although there is still room for improvement. We have to set up everything, from the training plan and the mental state to the individual preparation of each player. It will take some time, but I feel really good about it.

How was the overall atmosphere and how do you get along with the guys?

I’ve known the guys from the team for several years now, so we all knew what we were up to and what to expect from each other. It will take some time before everything runs smoothly, but we are all happy about the training conditions we have and the team is in a really good mood.

What are the team’s ambitions and what would you like to achieve with the team?

Of course we want to be the best team in the Czech Republic 🙂 But the competition is great and with several professional teams, it won’t be easy. Nevertheless, I believe that we will fight for the top standings and eventually set a mark in the world. My personal goal is to get the boys to the Top 50 in the world and one day to attend the most prestigious tournaments. But that will take some time.

What are you currently training for and where can we see the team in action?

Firstly we will attend Tipsport COOL League, to which we got a direct invite to the closed qualification. We’re preparing more things, but you’ll have to wait a bit for the official announcement.

We are looking forward to your journey. In the meantime, tell us how you started with CS.

I started playing Counter-Strike about 13 years ago. Back then I watched my friends running around the server and shouting something unintelligible into the mic. It was a completely different world, and I immediately fell in love with it. The first years were more about discovering how the game works and what should I do to keep myself away from the last standings in the table. That was in the era of CS 1.3 and CS 1.5.

When CS 1.6 came, I worked my way up to the top of our scene and tried to lead a semi-professional team. Then I took a break and I did not return until CS:GO was released. I quickly realized that I was too old for professional gaming, so I started commenting. In 2017 I got the offer from the first professional CS team in our country, team eXtatus, for whom I worked as a manager for a year. I loved it so much that I decided to continue my esport career which lead me all the way here, to Team Sampi.

You worked as a caster for Hitpoint. What did your work involve and did you enjoy it?

It was an amazing time and I’ve made great memories with people from Hitpoint. I remember the first time I came to the studio, put on the headphones and the guys from production started the countdown for the beginning of the first match. I flushed all over, couldn’t even talk properly and I’m pretty sure the ears of our listeners had to bleed from my speech. It was horrible. But as time went by, my nervousness slowly disappeared, more experienced casters helped me and I slowly began to improve.

Same as gaming, it’s all about training. Thanks to Hitpoint, I’ve got a lot of experience in those three years, for which I can only be grateful. The caster’s work is very complex. In addition to watching the game, you must constantly control your speech, strive to engage the audience as much as possible and talk about the match. It itself requires a lot of energy, personal preparation and discipline.

After commenting, you worked as a manager. What did it teach you and why have you started working as a coach?

Last year, I focused primarily on the administrative and managerial aspects of esport. My prime goal was to make the life of the player outside of the server as easy as possible. I wanted to understand his needs and to find out how to prepare the best possible conditions for professional gaming team.

It’s really important, but I missed the direct contact with the players on the server. So when this offer came, I didn’t hesitate for a second and accepted it with a smile on my face. Sampi is a leading organization in the Czech Republic and has the best background for players. I knew I could grow my career here and get all the support I need.

Do you still have time for a game or two?

After 10 hours of training a day, it’s hard to find the strength to start the game and enjoy it. But when I have time off, it’s nice to meet the elders and show the young guys how to lose ELO on FACEIT 🙂