Brian Saintt on the Importance of Player Health and the Minnesota RØKKR's Future

Aaron and Dalton begin this pod by gassing up Saintt, as he deserves, for his numerous accolades as a coach. They spend a bit of time discussing the current roster's formation, with members coming over from FaZe clan and the NY Subliners. “It was pretty natural,” Brian says of the creation of the new RØKKR team. 

He’s worked with a wide range of players, so naturally, Aaron has to ask about that process. “Every year, I learn more and more. And I learn how to work with different groups of players. And I think all my experiences leading up have given me a really good perspective on different groups of players and how certain players work,” Brian replies. They also spend a bit of time discussing how Brian balances being both a coach and a general manager for the team. 

Mental and physical health is a ubiquitous topic throughout the episode.  “I think as esports develops more, getting personal trainers and therapists is going to be a lot more frequent,” Brian tells Aaron and Dalton, adding, “Now as it becomes a more legitimate career, a lot of these players have to actually treat it as if they’re athletes.” The Minnesota RØKKR team certainly subscribes to this ethos. “We do team workouts on Zoom with a trainer every Monday and Thursday,” Saintt tells Aaron. It’s in the name; esports is a sport. Players have got to treat it like one. Brian has been focusing on maintaining his personal physical and mental health, saying: “You gotta lead by example.”

They cover a wide range of topics during the rest of the episode. The trio talks anime, strategy surrounding different maps, and numerous specific COD-related topics—from dynasties to the future of classes. Saintt is so knowledgeable about the game, and so all of his answers provide an interesting insight into the future of COD and esports generally.

What’s next for Saintt and the team? “My goal this year is definitely to win one of the majors, but especially Champs,” he tells the ITS crew. Saintt has numerous second place finishes as a coach in the majors, but he’s got his sights set on a gold medal this year. With his determination, extremely talented roster, and commitment to player’s well-being, the goal is well within his grasp. We’ve just got to wait and see.