Getting to know The General NRG through the eyes of Coach Sizz
The General NRG Head Coach, Coach Sizz, talks about the trials and tribulations as an esports coach, answers insider questions about RLCS, and provides an inside look at this year’s team.
The General NRG is looking to repeat last year’s victory as Rocket League World Champions. The man in charge of getting them there is Coach Sizz, a Rocket League player turned coach. He has been the team’s leader for three seasons now and has helped them execute new and challenging strategies in hopes of securing another championship. To help encourage excitement and showcase the talent and hard work that goes into being The General NRG’s coach, The General had the chance to sit down with Coach Sizz in an exclusive interview. The full interview can be found below.
Q: What are you most excited about for the rest of Season XI?
A: I would say that the team and I are mainly looking to continue building on the success that we have achieved during previous seasons. We have collected a lot of hardware which only makes our motivation to win stronger. We’ve also already secured our spot in the World Championship this year, so our goal is to keep improving as we gear up for that.
Q: What is your background? How did you become The General NRG’s coach?
A: I have been playing Rocket League for several years and began streaming on Twitch a couple of years ago. My career as a player started in 2017 and during my first year as a player, I placed second during RLCS Season 3 – North America. In 2020, I decided that I was ready for a new challenge and took on the position as The General NRG’s coach.
Q: What are your responsibilities as The General NRG’s coach?
A: The role of a coach has become more important than ever across esports. My main responsibility is to ensure our team is ready for the competition. I spend a lot of time watching films of other teams to see what kind of formations and strategies they may be running against us in order to best prepare for future games. Along with that, watching film of my own team’s previous competitions allows me to identify possible problems and areas for improvement. An outsider’s perspective can be really helpful for players in order to improve.
Q: How is the team doing this season? Do we see another world championship in our future?
A: I would definitely like to promise a championship, and the team has been playing at a championship level at times this season, but anything is possible in the world of Rocket League.
Q: What does your partnership with The General look like? How have they supported the team?
A: The General has really helped elevate the team and the entire NRG platform. In addition, having someone as admirable as Shaq supporting us has been really cool. Esports has been a niche category for a while, but when an NBA legend like Shaq wears The General NRG jersey, it promotes esports into mainstream media and appeals to a wider range of fans. When the partnership was announced last year, The General shared the same goals as us by wanting to help us grow the entire industry and connect us with a new and diverse group of fans. From contests to exclusive deals and fan voting, they have done a great job.
Q: What is your favorite part about the team’s partnership with The General?
A: One of my favorite parts about having a premier sponsor like The General are the great opportunities they provide us with to help us connect with our fans. For example, heading into Season XI, fans had the opportunity to vote for what jersey we would wear during the upcoming season. Out of the four designs, fans agreed that the dark green jerseys were the best choice. The jersey includes a notable patch on the front right bottom displaying a trophy representing the World Championship win in 2019 surrounded by multiple stars – one star for every major Rocket League event the team has won. It was awesome having the chance to show off our World Championship win with a custom patch on the jersey.
Q: Looking ahead, where do you see the future of esports heading?
A: Although the esports world has drastically changed within the last five years, I really believe it’s only going to continue to gain popularity and momentum. More people than ever have started tuning in to watch competitions live for all different divisions of gaming. The Twitch and YouTube Gaming communities are expanding every day and I am excited for the opportunities to come!
Be sure to cheer on The General NRG at their next competition at the North American Spring Regional #2, held this coming weekend from May 13-15, live on twitch.tv/rocketleague. Coach Sizz also advises that the best way to stay up to date on the team is to follow @NRGcurrent and @NRGg.
You can also check out the official website at nrg.gg where you can find the team’s roster and follow all of their personal Twitter accounts. If you want to rep the squad’s merch, be sure to visit the online shop at shop.nrg.gg.
