Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam – Coach
Counter-Strike Global Offensive : #Team Vitality #Former caster ESL France #Former Melty, Red Instinct, Katrina, Mistral.EGG, Remake, Webspell.
Katowice Major, the biggest event in the CS GO universe, has just begun. XTQZZZ, coach of the French organisation Vitality, shares with us his vision on his team and his players who are approaching this competition with ambition. (c) Vitality.
I had been hearing about Vitality for a few years thanks to their results on Call of Duty or by some of their key players like Gotaga, but I didn’t have a great knowledge of their organisation.
When I saw this new line up coming, I thought mostly about the other players. It was the last opportunity for many of them after having been benched or without a team for a few months. There was this impression that the French scene had been very patient with them and that it would not last forever.
On the other hand, I was very curious to see what this mix of famous players could do with the rising star Zywoo who was so hungry for the game. I had a hard time judging their first games before I arrived, because they rarely played top-level teams. You can often give the impression that you are playing well, with good phases, when it is only the weakness of the opposition that allows you to do so.
COACHING, A MISSION THAT MATCHES MY PERSONALITY
While I was on stand-by after the end of my commentary at ESL TV, Nathan (NBK) contacted me to talk about their project and their expectations. He already knew about my personality and methods.
They had this need for someone who pushed them 100%, to be at their best at all times. On my side, I couldn’t refuse a new challenge especially when it is ambitious like this one. A career in sports does not last forever and with my 30 years on the clock and a significant experience in the professional and personal world, I was ready.
Even if you work for such a structure and with great players, pride will only really come with good results. We are still only at the beginning. Being a coach fits my personality. Some of the characteristics of the position have always been in me: hard working, sharing with others, willingness to learn and get the best out of everyone.
I love the group dynamic, which is why I have been in the CS world for so many years. My years of commentating on ESL has also given me a great knowledge of our opponents gaming style, and allowed me to expand my expertise of the game. I have seen so many games that at times I can remember actions that took place 6 months earlier.
RIGOUR IS THE KEY TO PERFORMANCE
Some of you may be surprised, but what I bring most is the necessary rigour that a professional player must have. There are so many parameters to respect such as sleep, lifestyle, state of mind before a game or during boot camp.
Obviously all this is gradually being put in place, but the guys are now in this work ethic that will influence our results. Of course, the role of a coach is also important in the technical and tactical aspects of the game. But it was important for me to highlight this approach that will make us stronger and not only on the game.
The arrival of ALEX contributes to this global desire, because with him we now have 5 players on the same state of mind. There can be no doubt between teammates on this point. When your only problems are in the game phases, there is always a solution that can be found.
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To respect this new organisation, we have put in place some rules such as getting up at the same time before a LAN game, having breakfast together and having a common outing to clear your mind. These are things that may seem silly, but they are not applied everywhere when it is essential to the success of a team. It is essential for the player to have this routine, both collective and individual, to concentrate before a match.
I am not making this up. As a good sports fan, I try to get us closer to what professional clubs can do. This is how cohesion will be created and they will have a warlike state of mind before a game.
I LOOK FORWARD TO COMPETING AGAINST THE BEST TEAMS IN THE WORLD
To be a coach is to be a leader.
Without it, his message cannot be heard.
With all the hierarchical aspects that implies, I really make sure that there is a distance between me and my players, even if we have a good time together. When it comes to serious discussion, everything is clear.
The players have a personality that is ultimately identical in both their lives, in game and outside the game. Their actions and behavior on the server are quite similar. We can see that ZywOo is not afraid of anything and he has progressed with a untroubled nature on CS, he is exactly the same outside the game. RpK is discreet and composed, he is a teddy bear in real life. apEX has this mad dog side in the game and outside he is completely wacky.
For my staff assistants, WiPR and Zuper, I was not surprised either in their new role. Great professionalism for the first and hard worker for the second as in the ESL era.
Now it’s Major’s time. If it works, it will be thanks to everything that has been done in recent weeks in our games, our training, our mentality… We know that we can hurt everyone, but we must not forget that it goes both ways. I am not one of those who claim that you have to pass the first round or be a ‘Legend’. It’s unnecessary pressure. My only principle is to want to go as far as possible. Do not think we
are not ambitious.
As a coach, I look forward to seeing if everything we’ve worked on will perform against the best teams in the world. We want to see how they will deal with our game and how we will react to it.
Even if there are not only victories, the important thing for me will be to confirm if we are going in the right direction. It’s only the beginning of the season.
2018 was for me a personal triumph with my marriage and the arrival of my first child.
I hope that 2019 will be a year of professional success.
XTQZZZ
