*By Jimmy Mondal* Will “wiill” Sims, in-game leader of the NobleGG team that recently qualified for the NPL preseason, started gaming as a League of Legends player in 2012. But his League of Legends skills didn’t foreshadow his later esports success. “I was never personally that good,” he told Cheddar Sports with a laugh, “so I ended up just trying the coaching route.” Sims continued to coach and manage League of Legends, he says, until Riot Games started to franchise out and he realized his chances of getting in without the connections or accolades that some of his peers possessed were slim. At this point, he was looking for a game that was “accessible and something that you could get into early.” He realized that getting to a game late makes it harder to gain access to its inner circle and advance. That’s when he discovered PUBG, right as it was first announced. Sims jumped into the competitive scene in February, eventually playing in amateur 2v2 tournaments with some semi-professionals who happened to be missing team members for a full-on four-player squad. After gaining experience through the amateur circuit and proving himself to the semi-professional community, he started to make connections to members of the NobleGG squad. However, Sims didn’t have the experience of some of the other players. Although PUBG was his first first-person shooter game, Sims was able to prove his value by using the analytical and leadership skills he picked up while coaching League of Legends ー like “how to apply strategies, how to make a team work together, how to make people mesh.” When coming to PUBG, he said he asked himself: “What other avenue can I approach to make myself valuable to the team? What can I offer? “And it came down to the intellectual side of the game ーbeing able to use strategies, being able to adapt and think on the fly and being able to adjust to the situation,” he said adding, “which is what battle royale’s all about.” Sims qualified with his team for the upcoming National PUBG League. Preseason starts in mid-January.

Share:
More In Sports
Top Stories 2/28/2018
Dick's Sporting Goods announces it will no longer sell assault-style weapons in its stores. Amazon is buying video doorbell company Ring in a deal worth $1 billion. And is it time for "The Fresh Princess of Bel Air?"
Between Bells: February 27, 2018
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, brought to you by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: DACA, flying cars, and the Ryan Seacrest scandal. With Motor Trend, YourTango, and Reason Magazine.
Closing Bell: February 27, 2018
Georgia's Lieutenant Governor is calling on Delta to reinstate its relationship with the NRA. The Dow closes down 300 points. Amazon is buying smart doorbell maker Ring. Former NBA star Al Harrington is looking to become the next marijuana mogul. Cronos Group started trading on the Nasdaq Tuesday. The vertically integrated company became the first marijuana company to join a major exchange in the United States.
Olympic Bobsled Medalist Says Tech is Huge for the Sport
Three-time Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor was with Cheddar to discuss her journey to becoming the most decorated female U.S. bobsledder in history. Meyers Taylor showed off her shiny new silver medal that she just won at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Why Ex-NBA'er Al Harrington Got Into the Weed Biz
The former basketball player says his grandmother, who was suffering from glaucoma and diabetes, inspired him to get into this industry. Now, he's working on his own line of products with Harrington Wellness.
Plaintiffs Vow to Appeal After Judge Dismisses Suit to Legalize Weed
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging AG Jeff Sessions and the DEA on marijuana's classification of a Schedule I drug. The ruling marks a defeat for the plaintiffs who include a 12-year-old girl who treats her epilepsy with medical marijuana, a former professional football player, and a former U.S. Army Combat Veteran. An attorney on the case, and one of the plaintiffs share their reaction to the judges decision.
This Is How Tech Plays Into Olympics Prep
Olympic Silver Medalist Elana Meyers Taylor says that tech is involved in everything from analyzing runs to the sleds. She also talks about other aspects of the Games that would benefit from technology.
Load More