Understanding the Experiences, Challenges, and Professional Identities of Esports Coaches

The growth of esports has resulted in the creation of new roles and careers such as esports coaches, and with that, a need for professional support and development. However, at the moment, there is little foundational knowledge, training or resources for esports coaches who, as a result, are left to their own instincts and experiences in place of official standards and guidelines. Thus, this study seeks to address this gap in esports infrastructure, resources, and career development by examining the emerging professional identity of twenty-five esports coaches through semi-structured interviews. The results highlight a series of unique challenges and point to a unique professional identity of esports coaches that weaves together themes of pioneers in a new industry,​ ​self-educators,​ ​hybrid coaches​, and ​parental figures.