Vladyslava_Z after leaving OG: “Over the years, my role has gone far beyond traditional team management.”

When I joined OG in 2019, I couldn’t even imagine where this path would take me. Looking back, it was a huge step forward. Joining a team that had won two TI titles in a row seemed almost unreal. At the time, such opportunities were very rare for analysts from my region.

Over the past 6.5 years, I’ve had the honor of working side by side with incredible players, coaches, colleagues, and tournament organizers. Together, we traveled the world, competed in arenas both big and small, celebrated victories, learned from defeats, and created memories that will stay with me for a lifetime.

People often think that a team manager’s job is simply to look after the players, but that’s not the case. It’s important to earn people’s trust, solving problems before anyone even realizes they exist, staying calm in critical situations, and creating an environment where esports players and staff can focus on their personal growth and achieving their best results.

Over the years, my role has expanded far beyond traditional team management. I’ve become actively involved in organizing events, liaising with tournament operators, handling international logistics, and a multitude of behind-the-scenes tasks that rarely come to the community’s attention but play a crucial role.

More than 6.5 years at a single organization is a long time. I’ve seen roster changes, different leaders, the shift to online play during the COVID-19 pandemic, the return of LAN tournaments, incredible highs, and difficult moments. Through all of this, I’ve come to realize that the ability to adapt, as well as good relationships, are just as important as any internal processes or checklists.

I’m also proud that when I first started, there were very few female managers, especially in Tier 1 Counter-Strike. Now there are many more. I sincerely hope that the number of women in the industry will continue to grow. Watching all these changes unfold has been one of the many rewarding aspects of this journey.

I want to say thank you to all the players, coaches, colleagues, tournament organizers, partners, friends, and fans I’ve been fortunate enough to meet over the years. Thank you for your trust, support, and collaboration. Every event, boot camp, and crisis—all the victories and defeats—have helped shape not only my career but also the person I am today.