E-sports coaching combines gaming with studying
Roope “Nese” Kuossari is currently completing his second year at Leppävaara Upper Secondary School and is also in e-sports coaching. Leppävaara Upper Secondary School includes both a general study programme and a sports-oriented programme. Currently, e-athletes belong to the school’s general programme.
“I applied to Leppävaara for its good location, and I really like the teachers here. As soon as I heard about the e-sports coaching, I submitted my application. I game a lot in my free time.”
Students can apply for the e-sports coaching in the first period of school, and it starts in the second. In addition to Roope, the programme includes around ten other students. “We’ve had more interest this year, with twenty applicants in total,” explains teacher Timo Sihvonen from Leppävaara Upper Secondary School. The final selection was made with a motivation survey, as the ideal size for the group is 12 students.
Gaming from the early hours of the morning
The school’s e-sports coaching process focuses on CS:GO, a popular tactical first-person shooter game. Training sessions are held twice a week, at the same time as the school’s sports programme. “We play between 8 and 9 am on our own computers, in different teams and configurations,” Roope says. Practising in the morning can feel a little strange, as most gamers prefer to play in the evening and at night. “I play a lot better in the evening,” Roope notes.
The coaching is arranged by Incoach, the leading provider of gaming-related coaching and teaching in Finland. The students are coached by Jarmo “Jamboni” Helttunen, who, in Roope’s opinion, is a great mentor.
Gaining study credits and skills
Students also receive 10–16 credits for their gaming efforts throughout their upper secondary school studies, depending on their personal interests and motivations. The aim is to participate and succeed in the tournaments held between other upper secondary schools in Espoo. In addition, Leppävaara Upper Secondary School is aiming for the Elisa Masters tournament.
Gaming provides a whole heap of benefits. “It develops your coordination as well as your ability to communicate and work in a team,” Roope sums up. According to Timo Sihvonen, upper secondary school students are at the age when their hand-eye coordination is at its peak – and with the right coaching, they can become even better.
Roope describes himself as an aggressive player, although this is not evident in the way he conducts himself in real life.
And Roope is not content with sitting in front of his PC all day, as he likes to engage in traditional sports: “I play tennis 3–4 times a week.”
E-sports at Leppävaara and Kuninkaantie
Leppävaara Upper Secondary School initiated its e-sports programme in 2019, as the school believes that e-sports represent both the present and future of sports. “Our aim is to allow young gamers who are interested in e-sports to combine e-sports and studying in the same way as traditional athletes combine physical sports with their studies,” says Principal Ismo-Olav Kjäldman from Leppävaara Upper Secondary School.
Read more about Leppävaara Upper Secondary School
E-sports are also available at Kuninkaantie Upper Secondary School