Coaching the Future University Esports as a Training Ground – Paučin (ERNC25)

This presentation by Martin Paučin from the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava examines how university esports teams can function as training grounds for coaching, leadership, and soft skill development.

As esports becomes increasingly embedded in academic institutions, university teams are emerging as structured environments where competitive gaming intersects with education, identity formation, and organisational learning. This is particularly relevant in developing esports ecosystems, where formal coaching pathways and institutional frameworks remain limited.

The study explores how internal team structures and informal coaching practices within a university esports team contribute to the development of transferable skills such as communication, strategic thinking, emotional regulation, and collaborative problem solving. The research is based on participant observation, informal interviews, and reflective field notes collected over several years within the UCM TEDI Bears esports team in Slovakia.

Building on these insights, the presentation outlines the design of an interdisciplinary, short term esports coaching certification programme. Developed in collaboration with faculty from media studies, psychology, and physiotherapy, the proposed curriculum integrates tactical instruction with ethical leadership, soft skill facilitation, and health awareness through applied and scenario based learning.

Preliminary findings suggest that while coaching roles often emerge organically within university teams, they frequently lack pedagogical consistency. This reinforces the need for structured coach education models that reflect the interdisciplinary nature of esports and its role in digital society.

The presentation concludes that university esports teams can operate as living laboratories for innovation in coaching and education. By leveraging team level practices, institutions can develop scalable and context sensitive coaching pathways that support emerging esports ecosystems and future professionals.

Keywords: esports coaching, university esports, curriculum design, soft skills, leadership, education

About the ERN Conference 2025:

The Esports Research Network Conference 2025 took place online from November 12–14, 2025 as a continuous, 72-hour global livestream. Guided by the theme “Future Realities: Esports as a Global Lab,” the event explored how esports serves as a living laboratory for understanding digital transformation across education, media, technology, and society. This innovative digital-first format followed the sun across three regional hubs, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania & Michigan State University (Americas), Staffordshire University (EMEA), and UNSW Sydney (Asia-Pacific), creating a nonstop, interconnected academic experience available to participants worldwide.

This ambitious production was made possible through the support of Corsair for Business, whose Elgato technology powered high-quality broadcasting and seamless livestreaming across all three hubs. ERNC25 continues the network’s mission to unite scholars, practitioners, and students while fostering open, global collaboration in esports research.

Full abstracts for all presentations can be viewed in the official Book of Abstracts at: https://book.esportsresearch.net

Website: https://esportsresearch.net