Here at our editorial team, we don’t just limit ourselves to reporting on matches and tournaments. From time to time, we like to go behind the scenes and chat with the people who set the tone for the teams from within. This time, our interviewee was the coach of ViBe Gaming. Known as TomsoN, he used to compete on the scene himself, and today he is responsible for his team’s tactical preparation. We spoke about his early days, his work as a coach, his approach to development, and what everyday life is like for the ViBe team. If you’re curious about what CS looks like from the perspective of someone who not only observes the game but also shapes it, then we invite you to read on. I’ll just add that the meaning of his comments has remained intact; we’ve only corrected minor linguistic errors.
[R] Let’s start at the beginning — how did your journey with Counter-Strike actually begin, and when did you realise it was more than just a game?
Well, I’m 20 years old; apart from CS, my hobby is sport in general – I play volleyball and study physiotherapy. To be honest, I don’t even remember a specific moment, but I think it might have been whilst playing in my first team. However, I first came across CS 12 years ago, in Year 2 of primary school, and it was version 1.6. My first team, though, was in 2019.
[R] You mentioned that your first team experience was in 2019 — what were your early days in team play like?
My beginnings were like this: a friend from my hometown messaged me saying he’d like to try his hand at being the CEO of an organisation and asked if I’d like to play for him, so I agreed. The team itself had around 4–5 divisions made up of people from all over Poland.
[R] You’ve got quite a few achievements under your belt — ESEA Main, two Galaxy Cup wins, LAN victories… Which of these moments do you remember best and why?
I definitely remember the LAN wins best. The first one I won was also my first LAN of my career, so I was absolutely buzzing at the time. I have fond memories of the second one because it actually happened quite spontaneously. I went along to it without any preparation… We just went and won.
[R] Getting back to the Galaxy Cup — how do you rate this tournament from your own perspective?
As for the Galaxy Cup, I personally believe that such initiatives are needed on our Polish scene and it’s really well organised. The Galaxy Cup can be considered a ‘Main’ tournament, or even a ‘Major’ on our Polish scene, because nothing else attracts the attention of so many people.
[R] You’ve played against many players during your career — do you keep in touch with anyone from that time?
Yes, I’m in touch with many people who used to be part of my teams.
[R] What ultimately prompted you to move from the player scene to the role of coach?
One of the main reasons for this change is that my computer isn’t currently powerful enough to play at that level. The other reason is that I’ve always been interested in the purely tactical side of the game and wanted to see how I’d get on in that role
[R] What does your day-to-day work with the ViBe Gaming team involve?
My day-to-day work mainly involves correcting what the lads are doing on the server. On top of that, I also analyse and support our IGL.
[R] Is there anything specific you’re currently focusing on with the lads?
At the moment, at ViBe, we’re mainly working on eliminating basic tactical errors and on good communication.
[R] What emotions do you experience during matches?
I’m actually the sort of person who’s never really got stressed on the server and has always been totally focused, and that’s still the case today.
[R] What are your immediate goals with ViBe Gaming?
Our immediate goal as a team is to perform as well as possible at the Galaxy Cup LAN tournament. I won’t hide the fact that we’re aiming for at least a podium finish.
[R] One of the tournaments you’ve been taking part in recently is the Immunity League — how do you approach this type of competition?
The Immunity League isn’t our priority. We play in this tournament to stay in shape for official matches
[R] Do you have a coach or a team that inspires you, in terms of their approach to the game or team management?
At the moment, there isn’t any coach or team I draw inspiration from. I believe that copying Tier 1 teams is pointless, because the game there is a bit different from what we have at our level.
[R] How would you rate the current standard of the Polish scene? Do you see any teams or players who, in your opinion, could break into the top ranks in the near future?
At the moment, the Polish scene isn’t where it should be. We have the potential for it, as there are a lot of skilled players in our own backyard. Personally, I think we should be much higher up. However, at the moment there isn’t a team that could break through to the highest level.
[R] What do you think the current state of the underground scene in Poland is?
The Polish underground scene is developing at a very fast pace and, compared to CS from a few years ago, the standard has risen dramatically. Now you can literally lose to people you’d never even heard of before. As for rankings, I think the only one that’s more or less accurate is the Cybersport ranking. I reckon people simply don’t look at other rankings, or have no idea they exist. If I hadn’t been told that there were any rankings other than Cybersport, I probably would never have found out about them.
[R] From the perspective of a former player — what do you think distinguishes a good player from a truly top-tier one?
In my opinion, what distinguishes a good player from a top-tier one is primarily the decisions they make during a round. Because in terms of aim, players don’t differ much from one another.
[R] What advice would you give to other players or novice coaches who want to develop in the scene but don’t know where to start?
My advice to beginner players is this:
- Train diligently, both individually and as a team;
- Play as many official matches as possible, even in small tournaments, to gain experience;
- And watch replays of players in your positions to possibly learn some plays.
[R] And finally – do you have a message for ViBe Gaming fans or for our readers?
I’d like to send my warmest regards to all ViBe Gaming fans, and encourage the rest of our readers to follow our future endeavours on the Polish scene.
[R] That’s all from me for now. Thanks, TomsoN, for your time and honest answers. It was great to get a glimpse into the world of a coach who views CS from a different perspective than most players. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you and the whole ViBe Gaming squad, especially for the Galaxy Cup finals. May the podium not remain just a goal, but become a reality.
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