Nina Zweifel | It’s Time for Esports to Rethink its Approach: On Why We Need Integrated Support Teams

Hello everyone, and welcome to your weekly update on the latest in gaming science and industry insights—episode #79. Today's episode is a guest episode I was really looking forward. It's written by Nina Zweifel.

Nina is a psychologist and performance coach. She began as Switzerland's first health and wellbeing practitioner in esports, building a team of mental coaches, physiotherapists, and nutritionists to support athletes on multiple dimensions. She also worked as a performance manager at Adamas Esports and Sportpsychology for Team Vitality. Today, Nina primarily focuses on educating leaders in esports to drive changes in the industry from the organizational level down to the players.

Esports has reached remarkable heights, becoming a global phenomenon with millions of fans and players. As the industry matures, one question looms large: are we supporting our players and teams as effectively as we could?

While the competitive landscape continues to evolve, the structures supporting esports athletes haven’t fully caught up.

At the core of most professional teams is a single performance coach—a multitasking professional expected to handle everything outside the game. This includes managing players’ sleep, nutrition, exercise, team dynamics, mental health, emotional regulation, and much more. While performance coaches are invaluable, this system just is not sustainable. One person cannot possibly be an expert in every field or dedicate the required time and energy to every player in every field.

It’s time for esports to rethink its approach. Borrowing from traditional sports, we can explore the potential of Integrated Support Teams (ISTs).

These multidisciplinary teams provide specialized expertise, offering a more sustainable and impactful way to enhance performance while safeguarding the health and well-being of players.

🤝 Why Esports Needs Integrated Support Teams

In traditional sports, Integrated Support Teams (ISTs) are a cornerstone of athlete care. These teams bring together professionals—psychologists, nutritionists, strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists, and more—to address every aspect of performance and well-being. Esports players deserve the same level of support, especially given the mental, emotional, and physical demands of competitive gaming. Here’s how ISTs could revolutionize esports:

• Specialized Expertise for Every Player: One of the most significant advantages of ISTs is access to specialists  of various fields. Rather than one performance coach handling nutrition, mental skills, and physical training, each area is managed by an expert. This ensures players receive tailored, high-quality support that enhances their overall well-being and performance.
• Injury Prevention and Career Longevity: Physical injuries such as repetitive strain or back pain are common in esports, often cutting careers short. A dedicated physiotherapist or physical trainer could design programs to prevent these issues and manage recovery, extending players’ careers.
• Mental and Emotional Resilience: Competitive gaming is as much a mental game as a physical one. Psychologists in an IST could help players build emotional regulation, manage stress, and stay focused under pressure, giving teams a competitive edge.
• Enhanced Team Culture and Dynamics: An IST creates space for a healthier team environment. By delegating support roles to specialists, performance coaches and team managers can focus on fostering leadership, motivation, and trust within the team.
• Sustainability for Coaches and Staff: Current performance coaches often face burnout due to the sheer scope of their responsibilities. An IST approach redistributes these tasks, allowing each professional to focus on their area of expertise. This not only benefits coaches but also improves the quality of care players receive.

🏆 Overcoming Barriers to IST Implementation

The Value of ISTs: Implementing Integrated Support Teams (ISTs) in esports is a transformative opportunity but presents significant challenges that must be addressed to ensure the long-term health, development, and success of players and organizations. One of the most pressing barriers is the lack of understanding among teams and players regarding the role and value of ISTs.

Many teams view performance coaching as a luxury rather than an essential part of their structure, and players may not fully grasp how specialized support can enhance their performance and wellbeing.

Educating organizations about the tangible benefits of ISTs—such as improved results, reduced player burnout, and greater longevity in competitive careers—is critical. This awareness must extend to players, who need to see how performance coaching directly contributes to their growth as athletes and individuals.

Financial Limitations: Unlike traditional sports, which often operate with large budgets and well-established organizational frameworks, esports faces unique structural and financial limitations. Simply copying traditional sports IST models is not a viable solution. Instead, esports needs to embrace tailored approaches that accommodate its specific challenges.

For example, engaging remote or part-time specialists such as psychologists, nutritionists, and physical trainers can make expert support accessible even to smaller teams.

These professionals can deliver their services through virtual platforms, designing workshops, creating personalized performance plans, and monitoring progress without requiring full-time salaries or physical presence. This flexibility not only reduces costs but also makes high-quality support scalable for organizations with varying resources.

Organizational Stability: Another substantial obstacle is the lack of robust leadership structures within many esports teams.

Performance coaches often find themselves taking on managerial duties—ranging from resolving interpersonal conflicts to coordinating team logistics—which detracts from their primary role of enhancing player performance.

Without dedicated team managers to handle these responsibilities, performance coaches are stretched thin and unable to fully focus on their expertise/actual work with professional players. Organizations must prioritize hiring or training competent team managers who can provide strong leadership and operational stability. This investment allows IST professionals to channel their efforts into areas where they can have the most impact, such as mental health, physical conditioning, and strategic development.

For many esports organizations, financial constraints may seem insurmountable when considering IST implementation. However, resource-sharing models present an innovative solution.

Multiple teams could pool their funds to collectively hire specialists, enabling access to a level of expertise that would be financially out of reach for a single organization.

This collaborative approach has been successfully adopted in smaller traditional sports leagues, where shared professionals like trainers and therapists provide valuable support across multiple teams. Adapting this strategy to esports could help smaller organizations compete on a more level playing field while fostering a culture of collaboration within the industry.

Ultimately, addressing these challenges requires a combination of education, innovation, and cooperation. Organizations must recognize the value of ISTs, adapt their implementation to fit esports' unique landscape, and embrace new strategies like resource-sharing and remote engagement. By overcoming these barriers, the industry can unlock the full potential of its players and teams, creating a healthier, more sustainable ecosystem that benefits everyone involved.

📈 Prototyping ISTs: Starting Small

Prototyping Integrated Support Teams (ISTs) in esports doesn’t require waiting for perfect conditions; starting small with a focused approach can pave the way for long-term success.

A simple yet effective prototype could begin by assembling a core group of three specialists—a psychologist, a nutritionist, and a physical trainer or physiotherapist. These professionals can address players’ most immediate needs while establishing the foundation for a more comprehensive IST in the future. This small, dedicated team can work to enhance performance, promote player health, and support mental resilience, demonstrating the value of specialized support.

To make implementation feasible, a flexible engagement model can be adopted. Specialists can operate remotely or part-time, allowing teams to access expert advice without incurring the costs of full-time staff.

For example, a psychologist might conduct weekly group sessions to improve team cohesion and mental preparedness, while a nutritionist designs customized meal plans that align with players’ training and tournament schedules.

This approach ensures that players receive high-quality, tailored support without overstretching organizational resources.

Measuring the impact of this prototype is critical for refining the model and showcasing its benefits to stakeholders, beyond players and teams. By tracking key metrics such as player performance, physical health, mental wellbeing, and feedback from the team, organizations can identify areas for improvement and build a compelling case for further investment in ISTs. Starting small doesn’t mean thinking small—this process can drive significant progress in how esports organizations support their players, setting the stage for a healthier and more sustainable competitive ecosystem.

🔮 The Future of Esports Performance

Esports is at a pivotal moment. As the industry grows, so does the need for professionalized, sustainable support systems. Integrated Support Teams represent a massive opportunity—not just to improve performance but to ensure the health, happiness, and longevity of players and staff.

The shift won’t happen overnight, but the seeds can be planted today. By prioritizing health and expertise, we can build a future where esports isn’t just exciting—it’s sustainable for everyone involved. The question isn’t if esports will adopt ISTs—it’s when.

A huge thank you to Nina for her contribution and sharing her insights. Also, Nina is working on launching a project very soon aiming to show a glimpse of what could be possible adapting an IST approach to esports. It is designed to help players and teams build the foundations for long-term success. By addressing critical areas like mental skills, physical health, and sustainable routines, the THRIVE performance bootcamp equips teams with the tools they need to excel both in and out of the game.

For organizations considering the IST approach, THRIVE is a practical starting point. It bridges the gap between the current state of esports support and the future vision of holistic, multidisciplinary care.

If you're interested in this project or want to follow her journey in general, make sure to follow her on her socials (link below the header image).

And as always, see you guys next week. Bye,

Christian 🙂