The latest article in our series of British Esports Student Champs team profiles looks at Ibstock Place School, which has five teams competing across our Rocket League Nationals and Open, the Overwatch Cup and FC26 Cup. We caught up with Head of Esports, Jacob Southwood, about the teams.
What is your student esports team’s pre-match routine?
What happens in the morning or throughout the school day to prepare for the Champs?
I boot up all the PCs and make sure everything they need it loaded and ready for use e.g. Teamspeak, Bakkesmod, and the game itself.
How do you manage your check in? Do the players contact you first?
We post team sheets the week before using SOCS (School Online Communication System) in the same way our sports fixtures are posted. Players will contact me if they cannot play.
How do you build the day’s anticipation or reinforce expectations?
We have set goals of what we want to achieve this season, and the players know each game matters towards achieving our goals.
I’ll also do a bit of research on the opposition, so our players are aware of what to expect on the day. For example, we have a lunchtime check-in to make sure everyone is on time and has completed their homework before match prep.
Pre-game setup and warm-up techniques
What time do students start gathering in the esports room?
Our school day doesn’t finish until 4pm, so they arrive just after then.
How do the teams warm up?
Due to the limited time they will arrive, log in and do personal warmups. This can include aim trainers, casual scrims and game reviews.
Who helps manage the warm-up – teachers, student leaders, captains perhaps?
I manage the warmups, but the players know how they like to prepare for a game, so I mainly leave it down to them.
How is team selection made and roles assigned?
Is the team already picked, or do you choose players on the day?
The team is selected the week before. Typically, it is the same players but if others impress in training they might be put on the team sheet.
How do you manage subs, rotations, and last-minute changes?
Players will typically let me know the week before if they cannot play giving me time to inform a replacement. If there is a last-minute change on the day, we have subs who are aware they might get called upon.
Do students self-organise roles, or do you assign them?
Roles are discussed as a team, with me leading the conversations. With some roles like captaincy, I will assign them myself.
how do you manage game Communication and strategy?
How do you handle comms before and during the game?
Comms are a big part of the game and we practice them constantly. Every week we have a dedicated training session where comms are being worked on. During the games I will give feedback which often involves our comms.
Do you have any systems in place for calling, shotcalling, or reviewing plays?
During our training sessions we work on our roles, so when it comes to the game everyone knows what their role is and what is required of them. We often review replays to understand what we are doing well and where we can improve.
Do you coach strategy live, or do you let the team lead?
I like to let the players discuss between themselves to engage their communication and problem-solving skills, but during breaks in the game I will give feedback and encouragement.
What about supervision and support during matches?
How do you supervise and support your team(s) while they play?
I will either stand behind the players or watch from my own PC, which is next to theirs.
Do you keep records, observe comms, or offer any live advice?
I keep records of all the games we play – and all of the statistics.
With Rocket League I use [analysis platform] Ballchasing, so I have all the stats from all the games that we play. I will always observe comms and gameplay live and give feedback, as well as analyse previous games to give feedback during our training sessions.
How do you balance multiple teams – or games happening at the same time?
When we have all of our Rocket League teams and our Overwatch team play, we have two members of staff in the room.
One of us will watch over the Rocket League teams and one of us will watch over the Overwatch team.
How do you handle your post-game debriefs?
What do you do after each match?
At the end of each game we will have a small debrief on how the game went and where we need to improve.
We will then move into more depth in the training session.
How do students reflect on what went well and what they could improve?
I get them to talk as a team and voice their opinions to each other to create a constructive atmosphere aimed at improvement of the team as a whole.
What about VOD reviews, stats, or clips?
We ask our players to review their own replays – as well as the team’s – to find strengths and weaknesses.
We also have a partnership with Roehampton University so that our players can get mentorship from the esports scholars there. This helps with their post-match improvement, too.
What’s your technical and logistical management like?
What’s your setup like, and how did you set that up with your IT department?
We have a room of 12 PCs with a teacher’s PC and interactive screen at the front.
We use a piece of software called GGLeap to ensure the safeguarding of the students. For communication, we have our own headsets and use Teamspeak to communicate.
How do you handle any technical issues mid-game?
I load the PCs up in the morning to ensure they are all ready with no issues before the players arrive.
If there are any issues during the game I do my best to troubleshoot them.
Are there any checklists or procedures you follow weekly?
Updates are automatically done by [esports management solution] GGLeap and I load the PCs every day for the club, so I am aware if there are any issues.
What does the end-of-day cleanup and sign-off look like?
The players are told to log off, put any equipment back to where it belongs and tuck their chairs in before they leave. I then turn off all the PCs from my computer at the front.
How do you foster good student engagement and behaviour?
How do you maintain good behaviour, focus, and discipline on game day?
The players have been told of their behaviour standards. If they are not met, then they won’t be selected for the team.
Players must also ensure their school work comes first, and if they are falling behind and missing assignments, they will not be allowed to participate in esports.
Do you have any rrewards or systems to encourage team spirit, leadership, and sportsmanship?
We have a praise system at the school that can be applied to esports.
Other tips for growing esports in your school or college
Do you do anything unique or special that sets your team apart?
We run as esports as a club every day at the school. The lunchtime sessions are lower level groups. I deliver a coaching session to them each session aiming to improve them as players and help them progress towards one of our teams.
If they are good enough they will be asked to come to one of the after school sessions where they can be selected for one of our teams.
We also have a girls Rocket League session where we now have girls team that have weekly training sessions as well as friendly fixtures against other schools.
We also compete in the ISA Esports competition, where we have a Rocket League team and a prep school Minecraft team.
We have a greenscreen with a PC set up to record match commentary. With this, our students learn all about production of esports streams as well as how to cast them.
For next year, we have given out esports scholarships to some of our year 11s entering sixth form.
How do you promote esports within your college?
We’ve been doing esports at the school regularly for over two years now, so everyone in the school is aware of it if they wish to join.
For the year 7s coming into the school, we have a clubs fair where they can learn about different clubs including esports. Our social media team also put out posts including esports for parents to see.
Do you have any tips for new schools or colleges wanting to get started with the Student Champs?
Run regular clubs with a variety of different games and base the framework on how you would coach a sports session.
You don’t need to be an expert in the game – there are plenty of resources online.
Make use of your students, too. They will practically build teams for you if you find one that is eager.
About the author & Ibstock Place School
- Name: Jacob Southwood
- Role: Head of Esports
- School/College Name: Ibstock Place School
- Team Names: Ibstock Imperium and Ibstock Stentors
- Game Titles Played on Wednesdays: Rocket League National and Open, Overwatch Open and 2x FC26 Cup
- Number of Players/Teams Active: 5 teams consisting of 22 players including subs
A huge thank you to Jacob Southwood and Ibstock Place School for this guest article.
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