Games

SEN coach kaplan discusses letting his guard down as coach and the team’s atmosphere

BBG News

In a conversation after their win against MIBR, leading to their qualification for Masters Bangkok, esports.gg chatted with Sentinels’ coach, Kaplan.

Sentinels are heading towards the VCT Americas Kickoff 2025 Grand Final. They’ll face G2 Esports following their victory over MIBR in a deciding five-match series, which ensures that coach Adam “kaplan” Kaplan and his team will secure a spot at Masters Bangkok.

We’re focusing on discussing the Sentinels coach about the team dynamics and their performance against MIBR, as they’ve shown great dominance throughout the tournament, except for the match against G2 in the Upper Final.

SEN coach kaplan on the team’s consistency and confidence on stage during Kickoff

Initially, I’d like to extend my congratulations for securing the win and qualifying for the Masters Bangkok. It seems somewhat familiar to last year’s achievement. Could I ask how things are shaping up within the Sentinels camp? Is there a sense of déjà vu?

“Indeed, figuring out our identity on stage and staying true to ourselves is proving to be a bit more challenging than it was last season. Last year, we had an advantage because we won a pre-season tournament before Kickoff, which boosted our confidence. However, this year, it’s taken a bit more effort to regain that same level of self-assurance as a team.”

In a different wording: “Your teams performed exceptionally well in the maps you played. On Pearl, it clearly went into overtime. Was that simply MIBR starting to heat up, or do you think the game was particularly tight due to other reasons?

This game is highly dependent on momentum and emotional swings. One moment you’re making throws, the next you’re feeling frustrated because it leads to a downward spiral. And the game’s structure seems to encourage this, with its economy, Ultimates, and resisting the spiral being particularly challenging. Clearly, it was incredibly difficult for us, and our over-excitement to end the series on Pearl Defense led to an extraordinary amount of unnecessary throws.

As a fan, I must admit that during the initial stages of the match, I was carelessly discarding our chances. However, as the second half progressed, it became evident that they were gaining momentum, even as we began to regain our footing. The game turned out to be quite exciting towards the end. Looking back, I believe that the first six or seven defensive phases, and perhaps a couple of overtime rounds, we were a bit too thrilled about our impending trip to Bangkok, which might have affected our performance.

The back-and-forth of the rounds felt endless, as if there was no end in sight. You found yourself tightly grasping onto Cubert during those tense moments. In such pressure-filled situations, isn’t it comforting to have something soft to squeeze instead of pounding on a desk?

Either press or toss it against the wall. Typically, I prefer hitting the armrest, although I’ve given it a good whack today as well. There are definitely instances where cuddling him has been beneficial.

With sincerity, our team has been playing VALORANT quite a bit this week, and we’re looking forward to the Grand Final yet to come. Was it disheartening to let Pearl escape for so long, only to close out the match in fewer rounds on Split? Or are you content with the additional practice we’ve gained?

Indeed, it was quite aggravating. To be honest, I would have preferred to depart from that place. Here are a couple of reasons why:

Firstly, it’s inconvenient to reveal more of our Split strategy before the Grand Final, especially with G2 watching us closely. Secondly, I wish we could have been flawless in our performance.

As a gamer, I’m about to spin things positively: Today, we began with a bang but have often started off cold in the past. However, today, our energy was fantastic, and for the first time as a team, I believe, we showed real confidence on stage. It was a joy to see Pearl perform so well after initially struggling, and we managed to turn things around quite impressively during Split.

Although it wasn’t flawless, it was quite satisfactory. It’s reassuring to realize that perhaps we can find our balance even in the middle of a series and after losing maps. If we had won Pearl, I believe we would have confidently continued with momentum, but have we figured out how to recover when things go wrong? That remains to be seen.

In essence, several teams have been adopting a fresh playstyle or “meta,” where Yoru has become the primary Duelist and Tejo is being used in various roles. On the other hand, there are those who prefer to stick with their existing strategies. The question then arises: Why did it matter for SEN to establish the early 2025 meta’s benchmark?

Kaplan is saying that it’s quite challenging for teams since the game evolves significantly during the early part of the season. Consequently, they need to figure out team dynamics and establish fundamental skills, but they can’t tackle everything all at once.

For quite some time now, my assistant coach Gunter, Johnqt, and I have been a united team. Our shared passion lies in dissecting the intricate strategies within the game. We take pride in our ability to anticipate trends and adapt quickly to new metas, patches, and map or Agent updates.

We find joy in emphasizing this particular skill of ours, as it comes naturally to us and adds excitement. It’s something we excel at and enjoy, so we decided to utilize it more effectively. In other words, when it comes to comparing and analyzing different strategies (comping diff) or metagames (meta diff), it feels effortless for us. I believe our approach proved successful.

We managed to make progress in many areas during these series, even when our performance wasn’t always perfect. However, it’s clear that we still need to strengthen our foundational skills and details. It’s been challenging to balance everything at once, like juggling plates. Our plan is to focus on refining and enhancing the basics because, just as you work out different muscle groups in your body, we need to do the same with our skills.

You brought up Johnqt there. I was planning to add that a significant portion of that success might be due to him. This season, he’s stepped into the Initiator role exceptionally well, making strategic calls within the pack. Moreover, he’s been impressive on Tejo. So, in your opinion, how has this transition and performance impacted his growth as an in-game leader?

It seems that communicating effectively is crucial, especially during fast-paced games where players might become less vocal due to the quick pace or pressure of the situation. As the In-Game Leader (IGL), your frequent observation of the game allows you to maintain control and make informed decisions more easily.

When you’re playing IGL (In-Game Leader) from an observer perspective, it’s crucial to grasp what’s happening across different areas of the map and communicate that effectively during a call. However, expecting someone to precisely summarize all that information during a freeze time, while also processing it on the spot, is impractical and unrealistic.

It’s incredibly challenging, and for those who haven’t played or coached, it might be difficult to fully understand this challenge. However, let me stress that it seems extremely difficult, if not impossible, to be the top team globally with a Sentinel In-Game Leader.

Could you give me an update on Zellsis today? We were expecting to watch the match between zekken and aspas, but instead, it seems like Zellsis was in overdrive, dominating throughout the day. Was he particularly excited or geared up for this particular competition?

“He was deeply focused, not quite reaching the level of legendary Michael Jordan. Instead, he was intensely focused, like a stealthy assassin. It was intriguing, and it wasn’t something I’d seen from him often before. He’s a player who exudes confidence. When he decides to take some calculated risks and make a move, he truly excels.”

It seems that during this tournament, we’ve discovered a crucial lesson: every player is integral to the team. Each individual should step up as a leader and contribute to maintaining the team spirit. No one can just pass off responsibilities by saying, “That’s task for person X and Y,” because everyone has a part to play.

What happened yesterday isn’t relevant to our victory today. Everyone contributed significantly today, and I believe he did an excellent job creating space for it. This success also speaks volumes about his skill level when he doesn’t shoulder all the team’s burden.

This guy is an exceptional athlete, yet he often doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. It’s tough to maintain a team’s spirit while delivering outstanding performances simultaneously. Today, we witnessed what Jordan is truly capable of when the team takes turns shouldering the game’s pressure.

Moving on to my next point, I’d like to talk about team dynamics, especially since our conversation after the Loud series with N4RRATE is still fresh in my mind. In Valorant, competition can be fierce and mentally exhausting due to the impact of wins and losses. As a coach, it’s not just about barking orders or pushing players through grueling practice sessions. It’s also about striking a balance between being a mentor, a friend, and a guide when they need support. Could you share some insights on how you manage this delicate equilibrium?

Kaplan: “Indeed, it’s quite challenging. Achieving the right balance is tough, but I believe it’s crucial. People often observe sports much like watching someone lead 50 team members, a role similar to a coach. However, they shouldn’t be seen in a particular way. It’s almost like running into your teacher outside of school.

I find it surprising when I learn that someone is actually a real person, not just a character or a role. This doesn’t seem relevant in the context we are discussing. As your coach, I believe it’s crucial for you to be authentic and open up, because this job can be highly emotional and it’s important to let your feelings show.

You’ll be working 60 hours a week alongside individuals who may experience disagreements and confrontations. It’s crucial to remain authentic and true to your feelings in such situations. I strive to set an example by openly expressing and dealing with my own emotions honestly within the team.

I genuinely appreciate what N4RRATE does, I find it truly inspiring. His dedication and courage to be vulnerable in his daily work is commendable, and I feel incredibly proud of him for it.

Next up is G2, but they didn’t look their best in the Upper Final. It’s often said that winning against the same team twice in quick succession can be tough. Since this rematch is a best-of-five series, how does it advantage Sentinels?

Kaplan: “That’s an excellent query. We’ve faced some challenges with team dynamics on stage, and it’s quite noticeable to the audience. However, today we demonstrated our ability to manage it effectively. Given that G2 has been a team for a long time, and Jawgemo has been with them, they likely feel at ease in difficult situations.

It seems like it’s been a while since they last faced a challenging match, right? They’ve been breezing through their opponents easily. I’m hoping we can present them with a tough contest that pushes them out of their comfort zone, perhaps even revealing some rustiness. In VALORANT, the game dynamics significantly shift once you’re deep into a series, becoming more about managing emotions, atmosphere, and maintaining control.

I believe if we manage to bring them to the competition, we might stand a chance at victory. To put it frankly, they appear strong and we’ve displayed our skills quite extensively, while they had the opportunity to rest today. Unfortunately, we don’t have many resources available here. However, considering they get two map bans, it won’t be a walk in the park, but I am confident that we can pull it off. In fact, I plan on staying up all night to strategize and prepare for this challenge.

Read More

2025-02-08 20:42

Previous post Reverse: 1999 Version 2.3 update titled “Chronicles of Uluru: London Dawning” is set to release on February 20th, 2025
Next post Clash of Clans February 2025 update: New Defense, Added Levels, and other additions