Mentor Application
A Message to Prospective Mentors
Standing on the shoulders of giants is how we all learn to reach new heights. The journey to competitive excellence is a difficult ascent. Much like climbing a mountain, it requires determination, resilience, and often, a trusted guide. For the next generation of competitive talent in the South African esports scene, you can be that guide. This application is the first step on your path to becoming a mentor for Conquer The Climb Season 2, and a lead to our aspiring players in their climb.
An Invitation to Guide the Ascent
Understanding the core philosophy of Conquer The Climb is the first and and most crucial step for any prospective mentor. This initiative is fundamentally a developed platform, not just another tournament. Our mission is to empower lower-tier players by fostering growth in a structured, no-stakes competitive environment where learning is prioritised over the pressure to win.
The project is built on four primary objectives:
1. Player Development: To Improve the skills, game sense, and teamwork of lower-tiered players through structured coaching.
2. Mentor Growth: To provide experienced players with an opportunity to share their knowledge and gain valuable coaching experience.
3. Community Building: To create a supportive, growth-oriented esports community focussed on collaboration and mutual development.
4. Path to Professionalism: To offer participants a foundational experience that can help them transition to higher-tier competitive play.
For Season 2, we are excited to expand our reach by introducing Marvel Rivals alongside our established Overwatch tournament. Achieving our mission across both titles depends entirely on the dedication and quality of our mentors.
The mentor is the central pillar of the Conquer The Climb project. You are the primary driver of the player experience, entrusted with shaping a team's entire journey. As a mentor, you are responsible for the development and guidance of a team, from the first practice session to their final match.
Your core responsibilities will include:
Responsibility 1: Acting as the primary coach and manager for a randomly assigned team.
Responsibility 2: Guiding the team through both the two-week preparation ("Icebreaker") phase and the multi-week tournament phase.
Responsibility 3: Fostering a positive, growth-oriented team environment where learning is the main objective.
Responsibility 4: Managing team dynamics, promoting constructive communication, and resolving internal conflicts.
Responsibility 5: Serving as the primary liaison between your team and the Project Administration.
Responsibility 6: Teaching the team captain how to submit results.
Responsibility 7: Monitoring player progress and ensuring their skill ratings remain within the tournament eligibility requirements.
To better support you in this critical role, we have significantly enhanced the mentorship program for Season 2 based on direct feedback and learnings from our inaugural season.
Enhanced Mentorship Program
The success of this projects rests on the quality of its mentorship. We take the feedback from our inaugural season with the utmost seriousness. In response to valid community concerns regarding inconsistent guidance and lack of oversight, we have implemented a new framework designed to provide you with unparalleled support, clear epxectations, and the accountability needed to make your mentorship experience both impactful and rewarding.
The following enhancements are central to the Season 2 experience:
1. Mentor Onboarding: All selected mentors are required to attend a coaching workshop. This session is designed to equip you with best practices in coaching, effective conflict resolution strategies, and a deep understanding of the project's educational goals, ensuring all mentors start with a shared foundation.
2. Formalised Expectations and Curriculum: Mentors will be provided with a clear and consistent instructional baseline, the "Mentor's Checklist", outlining core strategic concepts to cover. Furthermore, the updated Mentor Code of Conduct will include a minimum expected weekly time commitment to ensure all teams receive a dedicated level of engagement.
3. Enhanced Oversight and Accountability: A core requirement for Season 2 is that all official mentor-team communication (e.g., scheduling, feedback, VOD reviews) will occur within designated, administration-visible channels on the official project Discord server. This is supported by a new formal weekly check-in process, where an administrator will connect with each mentor and team captain to monitor progress and proactively identify any potential issues.
Conquer The Climb follows a structured, multi-phase timeline to ensure a smooth and organised experience for all participants. The journey for mentors and teams will proceed as follows:
1. Mentor Application and Selection
Experienced community members apply to become mentors. The Administration vets all applications and finalises the mentor pool for both Overwatch and Marvel Rivals.
2. Team Registration
Once the number of mentors is confirmed, a corresponding number of team slots are opened for eligible players to register.
3. Mentor Assignment Show
In a transparent and exciting live-streamed event, the finalised mentors are randomly assigned to the registered teams.
4. The Icebreaker Phase
A dedicated two-week period commences where mentors and their newly assigned teams can connect, establish goals, cover the basics, and begin training before the official competition begins.
5. The Tournament Phase
Teams compete over several weeks in a structured tournament, including a group stage and playoffs, applying their learning in a competitive, yet development-focussed setting.
This journey requires leaders who are not only knowledgeable but also patient, communicative, and committed to fostering growth. If this sounds like you, we invite you to complete the mentor application on the next page.