EPTI really love SC2 coaching. But finding people to coach, who actually want to learn, is challenging. Really challenging.
It's not that there aren't people who jump at the opportunity to 'be coached', there are. But there are not many people who a) want to learn and b) are willing to put in actual effort that I've found. Or they believe that they want to put in effort, but when push comes to shove, it's just too much work.
Most frequently I encounter low level players who seem to honestly and seriously desire to improve, but their mentality is so fundamentally broken that it prevents the possibility of any real progress. I can't even describe how conversations like the following make me feel (example):
Player: I really want to get to silver/gold/plat league, I am willing to do anything!
Fission: Let's go over some replays of you playing, from your camera point of view, and you narrate the game.
Player: No, I already know what I'm doing wrong. I'm executing Flash/Innovations build, but I can't quite handle doing 8 drops at the same time, and then my macro slips in the late game.
Fission: I see. Let's go into a replay and have a look at your basics, like SCV production and number of production builds.
Player: I already told you, I'm doing Flash's build, obviously my scv production and everything is fine.
Fission: With all due respect, it's likely not fine - if you were executing the build as well as Flash, you would not be in Bronze/silver/gold/plat etc
Player: You're wrong, there's nothing wrong with my macro. I don't want to waste time talking about it. I just can't deal with how overpowered Z/P/Hellbats are, and cheese, that's the only reason I'm in my current league.
Fission: I don't think I can help you. Sorry. Good luck.
Obviously this is a fictional conversation and not representative of all low level players (I'm not claiming it is at all, don't hate me), but it has come up numerous times when I go to various coaching groups, like the reddit AllThingsTerran group etc.
I almost wonder if the reason it seems to be like this is because if any low level player both had the desire to improve, and the mentality to improve, they wouldn't be in lower leagues long and wouldn't need coaching. But I'm not so sure about that, because I've personally paid for coaching before, and I don't think my mentality is that bad (although it's probably my #1 biggest impediment, and my post history reveals me to be something of a whiner, which is a personal defect I've worked to address
).I've helped a few people out before successfully, and it's always really rewarding for everybody involved. I particularly enjoy obsing a stream and "avataring" them (giving instructions while they play). I remember one game where I was avataring for a mid masters player and after they perfectly defended an 8 gate (back in WoL) due to some good scouting and poor P execution, I told them to take their bio army and 1a the P natural. The player was all "no way dude, that wont work, I'll lose, it's a bad idea", and I convinced him to do it. Sure enough, the P player had like 1 zealot and a sentry and instantly gg'ed. My trainee was just speechless and then asked the million dollar question : "how did you know?" That's how learning happens.
Long story short, I enjoy teaching and wish I could find people who also enjoy learning
To other people like to teach: have you encountered this stuff? How do you deal with it?PS: If you're a bronze-diamond player who loves learning and who wants a (free) coach... send me a message.
