Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Coaching and Developing Others Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Developing and Building Teams Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Scheduling Work and Activities Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

The Work

An esport coach works with esport athletes and teams in a similar fashion to a sport coach. They provide advice, guidance, reassurance, and aim to develop their clients’ skills in-game and in life. They play an important role in helping athletes to navigate a challenging and stressful career.

Esport coaching is only a few years old, and the job description is changing all the time. There are few if any formal qualifications available in this field.

Compared to traditional sport coaches, esport coaches face many new challenges in their work:

• Esports moves fast, and there won’t be years to get to know athletes and plan interventions. Contracts may only last a few months, and coaches are expected to produce measurable results quickly.
• Work can be very time-consuming, including evenings and weekends, and may require international travel to be on-site with athletes for esport events.
• Esport athletes may have a variety of unhealthy habits, relating to their sleep, nutrition, communication style, or work-life balance.
• Esports involves working with people from a variety of nationalities and backgrounds, which can lead to challenges around culture differences.
• Esport athletes are exposed to particularly high amounts of stress, due to having a public profile, long hours, a highly competitive environment, and poor job security. This means coaches have a lot to deal with.
• Athletes may be below the age of 18, or otherwise be vulnerable persons. This means coaches may have safeguarding responsibilities.
• Esport organisations often have tight budgets, and may not be willing or able to put resources towards the supports that a coach feels would be best. Also, management may assume that a coach can work independently, whereas the role usually needs lots of buy-in throughout the organisation.

Nonetheless, esport coaches have a significant opportunity to make a positive impact on athletes’ lives, and achieve incredible things as part of a team.

Work tasks...

• Listen to esport athletes and other staff in an esport organisation to understand the strengths, weaknesses, personality, and needs of each individual on the team.
• Design interventions which could improve the well-being and performance of individuals on the team, and get buy-in from various stakeholders to commit tothese interventions.
• Manage conflict between athletes, management, and other stakeholders.
• Study individual esport games to understand the challenges being faced by athletes. Some coaches alsowatch opponents’ games and gather data to assist with match preparation.
• Stay up-to-date with latest practices and research to ensure the delivery of a professional service.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Plan, organise, and conduct practice sessions.
• Provide training direction, encouragement, motivation, and nutritional advice to prepare athletes for games, competitive events, or tours.
• Adjust coaching techniques, based on the strengths and weaknesses of athletes.
• Instruct individuals or groups in sports rules, game strategies, and performance principles, such as specific ways of moving the body, hands, or feet, to achieve desired results.
• Plan strategies and choose team members for individual games or sports seasons.
• Monitor the academic eligibility of student athletes.
• Counsel student athletes on academic, athletic, and personal issues.
• Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of opposing teams to develop game strategies.
• Coordinate travel arrangements and travel with team to away contests.
• Evaluate athletes' skills and review performance records to determine their fitness and potential in a particular area of athletics.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

Realist

Realists are usually interested in 'things' - such as buildings, mechanics, equipment, tools, electronics etc. Their primary focus is dealing with these - as in building, fixing, operating or designing them. Involvement in these areas leads to high manual skills, or a fine aptitude for practical design - as found in the various forms of engineering.

Realists like to find practical solutions to problems using tools, technology and skilled work. Realists usually prefer to be active in their work environment, often do most of their work alone, and enjoy taking decisive action with a minimum amount of discussion and paperwork.

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

The field of esport coaching is still young, and there are few formal routes into the career. Networking and building a reputation will be crucial to find paid opportunities in the field.

One entry route is to pursue a qualification as a sports coach, sports psychologist, or sports physiologist —all while staying current with trends in esports. It is likely that esport coaching will evolve in the next few years, and new opportunities to apply these skills will appear.

Another option is to enter the esport industry in a different role to build a network, and then transition to become a coach. This could involve upskilling with a general coaching qualification.

The expectations of a coach will vary depending on the client; a local esports club will have different needs to a top-tier professional team.

Further info...

• International Federation of Esports Coaches
• British Esports — Coach / Analyst

Last Updated: January, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €30k - €50k

Salaries vary by employer, programme, company, sessional rates, prize share, location, experience, role, and duties. 

Data Source(s):
Zip/ Indeed/ Morgan McKInley/ Indeed/ Sigmar/ Prosperity

Last Updated: March, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Employment levels fell in this occupation between 2021 and 2022, with 6,000 fewer people employed compared to pre-COVID-19 levels. The CSO Census data shows that employment numbers were small across the individual roles included in this occupation; although the Census shows that there was some growth over the period 2016 to 2022, this was primarily related to fitness instructors.

A half of all persons employed in this occupation worked part-time, far exceeding the national average of 22%. Employment permits issued for this group related to professional sports players sports coaches/instructors. The rising cost of living is likely to have an impact on the demand for the services provided by many people working in these occupations.

An increased use of digital fitness, particularly during COVID-19, may also have an impact on future demand for these roles, along with a shift in the skills profile required (e.g. digital skills). As such, the outlook for this occupation is uncertain, with any potential employment growth dependent on the levels of consumer discretionary spending.

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