Behind the curtains of elite esports: A case study from a holistic ecological approach to talent development

This study examined the structure, culture, and daily processes of an elite League of Legends team through a holistic ecological approach to talent development. Based on interviews with five elite male players and three coaches, alongside in-situ observations, the study showed that esports performance is shaped not only by individual player skill, but by the wider performance environment in which players, coaches, analysts, managers, and performance staff interact. The findings highlighted the importance of healthy relationships, flexible structures, psychological safety, effective training routines, and clear support roles in sustaining development and performance at the elite level. The study concludes that high-performance esports environments should be understood as complex systems where culture, relationships, communication, support staff, organizational stressors, and game-specific demands all influence performance. For applied practitioners, it emphasizes the importance of building trust, supporting coaches, improving feedback practices, creating safe team spaces, and designing routines that promote both sustainable performance and well-being.

Citation: Pedraza-Ramirez, I., Ramaker, B., Mathorne, O. W., Watson, M., & Laborde, S. (2024). Behind the Curtains of Elite Esports: A case study from a Holistic Ecological approach to talent development. Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology, 8(S1), S1-18. https://doi.org/10.1123/cssep.2023-0017

Link: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/csspp/8/S1/article-pS1-18.xml