QA with Chris Holly, e-Sports Player, New York City FC Viewpoint careers advice blog

QA with Chris Holly, e-Sports Player, New York City FC Chris Holly, eSports Player, New York City FC As an extension of our #MatchYourAmbition series, we have spoken to a number of key staff members from New York City FC (NYCFC) to find out how they exert their influence at the Club.   Chris Holly made Major League Soccer history when he signed as New York City Football Club’s first-ever eSports player.  As eSports continues to grow in size and popularity, we spoke to him about his career and his thoughts on what’s next for the industry. How long have you been gaming for and at what point did it become a serious career for you? I have been gaming for all of my life. I used to play with my brother every day after school, playing Sega and Nintendo 64. I began playing FIFA 12 years ago on a PS2 and was playing roughly 25 hours a week. I never thought I’d become a professional eSports player. I used to watch other professional eSports players online and wished I could be like them but I honestly didn’t think that I was as good as them. In the early days of playing FIFA I never participated in tournaments, I mainly played more casually. In 2017, I decided to try a tournament and quickly realised that I was actually pretty good and it became a serious career for me last year. How did the opportunity with NYCFC come about? I qualified for a gaming event in New York and I was approached by NYCFC on Twitter. I met with them at the NYCFC office to hear more about the opportunity, and on 5th  April 2017, I was announced as the Club’s first ever eSports player, a first in Major League Soccer history and a chance of a lifetime for me. What excites you about eSports (especially FIFA) and how has it grown over the past few years? E-sports is just like the real sport. You have fans… whether it’s one person or a team, you have fans.   They cheer you on and make the experience much greater, it is a very similar feeling to the real game. I went to Vancouver for the Season 2 Regional Finals and there were so many people cheering my name, it was awesome and such an encouraging feeling! It has seen a significant growth over the past two years and the expansion is very noticeable, particularly FIFA. So many people know about it and are talking about it constantly, you see it on the news and often as topics within TV shows, etc. What is your method on studying player stats to help your game strategy? I research players with the highest real in-game stats, things like speed, dribbling, defending, and plan my strategy around that. For example, Lionel Messi who is one of the best players in real life will be one of the best players in the game. What are your training or pre-match rituals? My training mostly consists of playing against other top players in my region. I try to learn new information and figure out what does and doesn’t work. For my pre-match rituals, I like to have a good breakfast to make sure that I’m full of energy for the day. I also play some warm-up games before the big games start. With eSports tournaments, practice and travel on the rise â€" how do you balance everything? I don’t find it too hard to balance everything. FIFA has really helped me to manage my career and schedule, which allows me to be 100% focused on the games. I find I have plenty of time to go out, to practice and to travel, I really like to travel â€" it is never a burden, it’s a win-win! What is the most exciting e-sports tournament you’ve ever played in and why? It has to be in Vancouver for the Season 2 Regional Finals when I won the PS4 division. The goal was just to qualify for the playoffs but I made it to the finals which were amazing. Unfortunately, I didn’t go all the way but the experience in the final was magical hearing all the people shout “Go Chrissy!” It was definitely the proudest achievement in my e-sports career so far. In your opinion, what’s next in eSports? I think that eSports will keep growing and evolving. There are more and more people talking about it and getting interested in the sport. Stadiums are selling out when events are being hosted, brands are getting involved from a sponsorship point of view and celebrities are bringing awareness to it e.g. the rapper Drake playing Fortnite. About the Hays and NYCFC Sponsorship New York City FC (NYCFC) is an American professional soccer team based in New York City that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Eastern Conference of the league. Majority owned by City Football Group (CFG), New York City FC plays its home games at the Yankee Stadium, and has former US National Team captain Claudio Reyna as its Sporting  Director  and Domènec Torrent as its Head Coach. As Official Recruitment Partner, Hays has been pivotal to NYCFC since the Club’s inaugural season in 2015 and has proved instrumental in helping to bring a brand-new soccer franchise to New York City. Together, NYCFC and Hays have developed a truly integrated partnership, with a strong understanding of the synergies between the world of work and elite sport. Did you find this blog interesting? Here are some other blogs that you might enjoy: QA with Jen Knowles, Head of Marketing, New York City FC QA with Joyce Jelks, Head of HR, New York City FC 5 sports mantras which will power your career forward