Resilience
Resilience and a positive attitude can inspire players and bring the whole team together
Gaming can be intense, and for many gamers, it’s what makes it so much fun! But it can also sometimes create friction between players who become frustrated and angry. This can lead to players rage quitting, losing their temper with each other, or becoming disruptive, and in the process, potentially ruin the game for the whole team.
Learning to recognize when team cohesion and player focus is breaking down can help players to support and encourage each other in order to bring each other back into the game and to re-focus on the team’s objectives.
Keeping cool under pressure, especially when things aren’t going your way, requires resilience and a positive attitude.
Tips for keeping cool and seeing the game through
- Self-control – Be aware of your own emotional response and try not to lose control in difficult or challenging situations. Keeping cool sets a good example to others and can make all the difference in turning a loss into a victory.
- Don’t give in – If your team is heading for a loss, don’t give up the fight, keep focused and try your hardest. Honor in defeat and grace in victory are both traits of a good team. Losing a game, knowing you have tried your hardest is far better than giving up or going AFK.
- Support and encourage – When a team player makes a mistake try and support them as best you can. Try and avoid venting at players who are having a tough time. If you make a player doubt themselves, they may become de-motivated which can lead to poor team performance.
- Perspective – Winning and losing are both part of competitive play. Try to re-frame tough games as challenges to be met and losses as opportunities to learn and improve. Using defeats to identify areas of improvement will help players in accepting a defeat as part of the whole gaming experience and to improve their game.
We all have bad days so if someone loses their temper and starts raging at the rest of the team, don’t take it personally. Recognize that the player is just venting frustration and try to calm them down. If they become abusive, you can put them on mute until they cool down, or until you are able to help them without reacting emotionally.