With Season 10 of CEVO and ESEA Season 22 many people have been looking for teams lately. Players that are also interested in playing in these seasons have been looking for them. Personally, I have been on both ends of the spectrum and like to think I have some good knowledge that I can pass onto anyone who is looking for a team or any teams that are looking for players. I will make this guide into two parts, one for teams, and one for players. Depending on your situation, these two parts will help hopefully help you.

Players

So how do you find a team? The two best ways for players currently are to post on the CEVO forums or use the ESEA “find a team” tool. Personally, I have had the best results on CEVO. When posting you want to make sure you post relevant content. I suggest you put your CEVO Efficacy, ESEA RWS, prior experience, hours played, and, most importantly, your Steam profile link. Fill out all of this information and make sure it is organized. Whenever teams are looking for players, they are looking through a lot of applications and yours may be passed over if it is not very visually appealing. Players should be making themselves look attractive as possible because there may always be someone who is better than you looking for a team, but their application may not be as nice and they will get passed over.

Players are in a very unique situation. The mindset of most players who are looking for a team is that the team is trying them out, and they must join the team if they are choen. However, this is an incorrect way of looking for teams. Even though you are technically trying out for the team, you are also trying them out. You want to make sure they are up to your standards and they’re players you want to play with. For example, if you join a team and you are clearly above their skill level, it may be in your best interest to look for another team. Another example of this would be that the players are all of equal skill and close to you, but the players' personalities are not players you would want to play with. It is completely acceptable to tell the team that you appreciate the chance to join their team, but you are not interested in playing for them anymore.

Players need to also remember to make it very clear to what their goals are for the team. Looking to advance to the next divison? Let the team know. Just want to get some experience? Let the team know. The team you are trying out for deserves to know all of this. Your team that you are trying out for should all have a common goal. Let them know what your time commitments can be and what you can offer them before you join the team then they become frustrated with you.

[An example of my application]

Teams

Teams are looking for players constantly. When creating a team, I suggest not making a team alone. The best way to create a team is to have at least 2-3 core members who work well off each other and want to make a team. You will want to be looking for players who are easy to work with and are in it for the benefit of the team, not just themselves. If you pick up players that are in it for themselves, you risk running into very toxic players and players who may not finish a season with you. I highly suggest playing with your new players for more than one or two scrims before determining if you want pick up a player. I’d say a good trial period is 1-2 weeks. This also weeds out players who are not committed to playing. During these weeks, you should be setting the standard during these weeks for what you want to do throughout the season.

I want to dedicate a whole section to picking players not just based on skill, but personality. When picking players, don’t just take into account players with high RWS or Efficacy. There are many players who are, simply put, PUG stars. They can play very well against unorganized competition, but falter and stumble once they play against structured opponents who punish stupid plays. You want to pick up players who are team players and play their role. Of course, there will be players who are playmakers, but many times it’s because the system is working for them with a combination of individual skill instead of just their skill.

Conclusion

In conclusion, players and teams are in their own unique situations whenever they are trying to find players. For players, make sure you’re ready to commit time and effort into a team. Don’t go into a team thinking you can get away with showing up to practice half of the time and not putting any effort towards the team. For teams, make sure you let your players know what you expect of them and what you want from them. Do not leave them out in the dark and just hope they fit in your mold.

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