As the esports scene explodes across the globe, the constant stress to be at the top can take its toll. As the gaming masses flock into the world of competitive gaming, having a healthy balance is even more pressing.
Dylan Jones, age 24, said he believes team coaching sessions provide needed perspective when it comes to mental health.
Jones, a competitive FGC (Fighting Gaming Community) player for Crescent Esports, said the sessions are beneficial as they allow his teammates and himself to unravel certain habits or thought patterns one may have, such as judgment calls that put unneeded pressure on themselves.
Jones, also known as DJ Malady, said, “I know just being able to have a platform to speak my mind and think about why I’m thinking a certain way with a second party is beneficial.”
According to an ESPN article, the problem of mental health issues becomes “invisible” as they are so prevalent in esports. Fans voicing their opinions on social media regarding a player’s mental fortitude certainly plays its part.
Jones said that his team’s sessions allow him to decompress; allowing him to rationalize if he is being blinded by outside factors or forming behavioral patterns.
Lumen Vera, CEO and Co-owner of Crescent Esports, said that organizations have a responsibility to advocate for their players well-being, both physically and mentally.
“From an organization’s standpoint, we want to get the most out of our players,” said Vera. “To best achieve that we need to make sure our players stay physically and mentally healthy.”
Vera said that esports is a heavily demanding industry, more than those outside of it may understand. “While esports does not have as many physical demands as traditional sports, it is very mentally demanding, it is emotionally demanding as well,” said Vera.
Having an outside perspective, according to Jones, lends itself into competing better as it provides him with a clear mind. With a family history of mental health issues from Bipolar disorder to anxiety, Dylan said he welcomes the open discussion of mental health in the competitive scene.
Mental health is a serious issue and when it comes to competitive gaming, the stakes are even higher.
A recent study in 2018 by Mental Health America (MHA), states that 1 in 5 adults have a mental health condition. The rates of youth suffering from depression has increased from 5.9% in 2012 to 8.2% in 2015 with nearly 76% of them with nearly little to no treatment. Esports, a $1.5 billion-industry in 2017, is expected to grow by 60% to $2.3 billion in 2022. With money like this on the line, the pressure on players is only increasing.
With the constant pressure, some pro players risk early retirement due to burnout.
Avoiding burnout is always on Jones’ mind, he said. Finding support from Crescent Esports CEO and Co-owner, Lumen Vera, Dylan says that he is learning to set his practice schedules and use time management to aide how he handles the stress.
“When you are satisfied in one area,” said Jones, “it gives you the energy and motivation to succeed in others.”
“When I interview anyone coming into Crescent Esports,” said Vera, “I bring up burnout as one of the first topics. I communicate that it’s okay to feel burnt out, to want to take a break from competing and content creation.”
According to Vera, the organization keeps an open-door policy with its staff, players, and community.
“Real Talk and I sit with our players individually and provide them with a safe place to open up and vent,” said Vera of his Head of Player Development, Artie Valle, also known as Real Talk.
Balancing a hefty work schedule with a practice schedule all lend itself to the amount of pressure some players, such as Jones, have on their plates. It is important to have open discussions amongst organizations and players so that all needs are being met.
When asked if mental health is a priority at Crescent Esports, Vera had this to say, “100% it is the priority. If you want the best players on your team, they need to be well-balanced individuals.”
“The greatest example of a team that successfully takes care of their players is Astralis,” said Vera. “They hired a sports psychologist and they went from a team that couldn’t win a major to an unstoppable force. They are my inspiration. The problem is at the lower levels.”
Jennifer Vargas, a social media consultant, analyst, host, and producer in Esports and video games, said that a lot of the business for esports is fundamentally flawed as the industry itself is still in its infancy.
“We do have major key players such as Rick Fox with Echo Fox and we have Steve Aoki with Team Liquid. We have people who are a part of esports that have a lot of money and have experience in traditional sports. The interesting thing is we’re also seeing a lot of player association being created with Riot Games,” said Vargas. “We’re seeing a lot of demand for some sort of entity or governing body for a lot of these leagues. This is where most of the discussion about the mental and physical health of actual pro players are being invested into these leagues, tournaments and esports.”
Vargas said that right now it is up to the managers and the teams to be able to provide health insurance to provide physical therapy for carpal tunnel or other related injuries alongside psychological care.
“There’s this gap that needs to be filled as larger organizations have a lot of bank,” said Vargas. “A governing entity can provide health insurance even when smaller teams may not have those funds available.”
Vargas said she believes that once esports is publicly and openly recognized as a sport, the government may step in to decide on sanctions and players associations for each league to ensure the mental and physical health of pro players.
“You are seeing many young professional players, 13-14 years of age, competing in Fortnite, Clash of Clans and Overwatch,” said Vargas. “So, they’re being exposed to this grind where they’re putting their body and mind, their wrists and arms, into a situation for hours at a time. They’re practicing, devoting time to make sure they have strategies implemented successfully to win theses tournaments they’ll be attending.”
Vargas said there is not a basic understanding of the “after.” There is not a foundation for aspiring pro players to practice and compete while gaining the knowledge and information necessary to have a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle.
“A lot of times, some kids will play for 15 hours for a game, and that’s not a healthy amount of time,” said Vargas. “The max, I hear, is 7 hours for a pro player. Sometimes you see 10-15 hours of gameplay, however, they have a very rigid structure of how they practice.”
According to Vargas, these practice schedules will consist of a set number of hours for practice, followed by muscle treatment: muscle stretching and therapy to avoid any issues. With carpal tunnel prevalent amongst competitors, there are lots of issues of muscle atrophy.
“There’s lots of issues with being stagnant for 15 hours that does a lot to the back to the shoulders, to the mind and brain,” said Vargas. “Teams like Team Liquid and Echo Fox have a rigid schedule. Nutrition is important, so they have meals prepared for their pro players. They have gym time with a personal trainer to help them strengthen their muscles.”
Amateur players may not be exposed to this information or lack the knowledge while having the support and structure needed. Vargas said she believes this sometimes hinders aspiring pro players to be successful.
In relation to Crescent Esports team sessions, Dylan Jones said, “Feels like a huge weight off of my shoulders. I’m glad that Crescent Esports is putting mental health as a big priority. Some think it might be small, but it lends itself into everything you do afterwards.”
For more information about mental health, visit http://www.mentalhealth.gov/.