EPTIn an attempt to bolster my SC2 skills I've decided that joining a team/clan (I'm not sure of the difference between the two) would be a tremendous step forward. I believe that having access to a large number of players gives me the opportunity to parse the inferior partners from the ideal ones. Indeed, finding a practice partner that is suitably skilled and actually devoted to helping you improve can be rather difficult. Find someone who is too good and you'll end up losing every single game you play. While you can learn this way, I don't think its ideal. Sure, play some games with people who are totally superior to you but don't play with them exclusively. Your ideal practice partner or even partners will be the kind of guys you trade games with regularly. Perhaps one of you hits a steak here or there but on the whole, look for someone who you beat about half the time. That way, you're able to build confidence in your game which I believe is fundamentally important.
By joining a team I hope that I will be rounding out the resources at my disposal for improving to the higher levels of SC2 play. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can make Master League. However my first goal is to make it into Diamond. Again, I know I've got what it takes to achieve this goal, I simply need to utilize all my resources and establish a regular playing and practice schedule. Since I now have at least 2 days a week dedicated to practicing with my team, filling out the rest of the week with my own more aggressive schedule will be important. I have something like 7 lessons split between two teachers that I need to redeem so I think that of course, I will be tapping my coaching resource with increasing regularity.
Similar to finding a good practice partner, finding a coach that you mesh well with is also important. For me, my primary Protoss coach stands as my own personal benchmark: I want to be at least as good as he is. Since we already feel almost identically about our favorite match ups, the foundation of our relationship in terms of how we approach the game has been established. I simply need to raise my mechanics, game sense, and scouting abilities up to his level. I would encourage others out there who are interested in coaching to look for someone who approaches the game in a manner similar to you. Well, at least those of us below Master League. If you've reached Master League and are still looking for coaching then perhaps you need the opposite: someone who approaches the game and match-ups in a way totally the opposite of you so that you develop your potential weak areas. Like so many things and as the Zen master said, choosing a coach and whether or not you even NEED a coach "depends on conditions".
And so, I will spend the next month playing the game a certain minimum number of games per day. I will schedule my remaining lessons with my coach as far as I am able and I will peruse my list of team mates for some Diamond level players. Hopefully I will find a group of players where I can both improve my own game as well as help others out with their own game.
Joining this team has helped reinvigorate my quest for perpetual improvement in this cruel but addicting game. I look forward to meeting my fellow team members and representing my team in as many tournaments as possible. Although littered with smurfs I will do my best to play in a variety of small Platinum and under tournaments to try and facilitate improvement until I inevitably break through into Diamond.
Wish me luck
EDIT: OK so I shall clarify, I have joined a clan with a large amount of members spread out across all leagues. The clan website is at http://clan-exe.enjin.com/
just joined and have had two good practise sessions. Good luck with getting to diamond :D
