As has just been announced, I will be stepping down as Coach of Endpoint with Rejin filling the void. The team has already been working with Rejin for a little while and we’ve collaborated well behind the scenes to keep the transition as smooth as possible.
Upon joining Endpoint on trial in June last year into being fully announced in September, my intentions to remain a broadcaster was known to everyone involved. Initially the conflicts were minimal and broadcasting exclusively online due to Covid kept things simpler.
2022 has been a different story. The start of this season in January to the end of the RMR’s in April was the hardest period of sustained work in my entire life. Getting into the groove of studio/LAN events with ESL Challenger + IEM Katowice + ESL Pro League was amazing, but when combined with coaching a professional team, the number of working hours I was putting into CS was completely off the charts and any days off came few and far between.
What I was doing was never going to be sustainable, and from both a financial and quality of life standpoint, I was always going to favour broadcasting. On the flip side from Endpoint’s perspective, the team needed an experienced figurehead to fully manage a rebuild of the team and Rejin is an ideal choice.
With this change my intention is to go full time broadcaster and I’ve had countless meetings over recent weeks to open up more broadcasting work, mainly CS focused but also considering expanding into other games. The next few months will be important to expand my portfolio and prove myself capable at more broadcast roles. My casting in particular has picked up dramatically over the last 6 months and now with added time to review casts into making tweaks I do not expect that trajectory to change. Interviewing/sideline is another role I’d love to expand into given the right circumstances and you guys should expect plenty of content as practice and proof of my competency in the role.
An important question is whether I am open to/intend on taking on any positions beyond broadcasting. Answer is: it depends on the opportunity. For example, I do think General Manager/Head Coach (with other coaches always on the server) for the right organisation could combine well with broadcasting. Outside of roles in teams, moving back into content creation is a must within our current landscape and that will be both on my personal channels and potentially working under other outlets, perhaps I’ll even write an article after a 3+ year break.
Some people more naive to the industry might think I’m already in a good position and moving upwards will be a simple process. I know the truth. The hard work has only just begun and maximising my potential will take a ruthless amount of dedication.
What’s ahead is in equal parts exciting and daunting, this shit is going to be one hell of a ride.
Allan.
