Life as a Sub: Team Liquid's Keith
Riot·2/27/2015, 9:22:00 PM·0 votes·29,461 views
We didn't expect to remember Yuri "Keith" Jew. He was just an inconvenient delay before the NA LCS’ big attraction arrived from Korea: Team Liquid's real AD carry, Gwang-jin "Piglet" Chae. But when substitute Keith played in Week 1 of the 2015 NA LCS, he demanded our attention.
His incredible performances on Caitlyn and Kog'Maw helped carry his team to the only undefeated record of the week and earned him a spot in the highlight reels. He looked unstoppable, leaving piles of bodies in his wake as he amassed the highest KDA of any ADC in the region (15-2-23).
Then, the next week, he was back on the bench and out of the spotlight.
He had no real hopes of being allowed back onto the LCS stage anytime soon now that Piglet had arrived. Such is the life of an LCS substitute.
Substitute players fill a much-needed role on LCS teams, who need to field a full team on a regular schedule in order to maintain the consistency and level of teamwork it takes to compete in the LCS every week. When visa hurdles, injuries, or performance slumps prevent a starting player from stepping onto the stage, LCS teams turn to the players they've contracted, and hopefully trained, as subs to take their place.
It's obvious when talking to Keith that he's thrilled about being a substitute for Team Liquid. "It's exciting," he says. "Because I'm completely new to the LCS, there's a lot of things that I haven't experienced yet."
Keith joined the squad officially in January of this year, so he's not kidding about being completely new. Since then, he's maintained a steady schedule on his own, without teammates. He goes to school during the day, does his homework in the evening, and plays solo queue every other available minute.
"I only live with the other team members and practice with them when I'm supposed to play in the LCS that week," he explains. "Otherwise, I solo queue or play on Liquid Academy."
Keith admitted that it's sometimes hard to feel connected to his teammates on the core Team Liquid squad when he doesn't get the chance to interact or play with them on a regular basis. But after Piglet struggled to perform his first few weeks, Team Liquid turned once again to their trusty substitute for help.
Before last week's games, Keith was brought back onto the main roster -- at least temporarily. And although Keith has only played with his teammates for two weeks, he says that he already feels a good connection with them.
Although other players, like Zachary "Mancloud" Allan Hoschar, have found success as freelance substitutes for multiple teams over multiple splits, this is Keith's first foray into subbing for an LCS team. He initially joined the organization to play ADC on Team Liquid's Challenger team, Team Liquid Academy. Shortly after joining, however, he was offered the substitute position for the main team.
Keith believes he landed his substitute gig mostly because of his solo queue performance, and suggests other prospective subs do the same. "Teams can find substitute players by looking at the solo queue ladder," he explains. "Although it's hard to find skilled players that are available, strong solo queue players that are well-respected have a good chance of becoming a sub on an LCS team."
Playing for two teams isn't always easy, though. Especially if they have different playstyles.
"I think it's better to just play your own style [when you sub for a team]," Keith says. "I didn't really think about trying to copy Piglet's style of play when I subbed for him in Weeks 1 and 5."
And Keith doesn't take those weeks for granted. Every time he steps on the NA LCS stage, he knows he's performing an on-the-job interview for every prospective LCS team in the world.
"The way I see it," he says, "is that each game I play is a chance to prove myself. If you can make a really good impression, I think getting back into the LCS will be really easy."
In just a few weeks, Keith has put together a pretty compelling resumé for becoming a permanent ADC in the LCS . He's performed exceptionally well in all four games he's played on Team Liquid so far this split, and fans are eager to watch him on stage again this weekend. But, for his part, Keith is mostly just eager to improve.
"Being on the main roster is definitely the best way to improve as a Challenger player," he explains. "Because on the main team, you get to scrim other LCS teams and have an analyst to point out your mistakes and help you fix them."
If what we've seen so far is just Keith's unrefined talent, I can't wait to watch where he grows from here. And, don't worry, Keith is still finding time to enjoy the fun side of his new life on the NA LCS mainstage. He says he's having lots of fun meeting the pros he's watched for years, playing in front of the big crowd, and enviously eyeballing those nice LCS backpacks the full-time pros sport on stage.
But is Keith ready for the challenges that a more permanent position on Team Liquid's roster might bring? His answer is simple.
"I feel the same as I did in Week 1," he says. "It's just another chance to show the world what I'm made of."
Josh Augustine's favorite champion is Gnar, he's never enjoyed a Darius, and he will always go for the kill, even when he knows he shouldn't. He currently works as a game designer on EverQuest Next at Daybreak Games. He’d love to talk with you on Twitter.
What Does a Sub Do?
Substitute players fill a much-needed role on LCS teams, who need to field a full team on a regular schedule in order to maintain the consistency and level of teamwork it takes to compete in the LCS every week. When visa hurdles, injuries, or performance slumps prevent a starting player from stepping onto the stage, LCS teams turn to the players they've contracted, and hopefully trained, as subs to take their place.
It's obvious when talking to Keith that he's thrilled about being a substitute for Team Liquid. "It's exciting," he says. "Because I'm completely new to the LCS, there's a lot of things that I haven't experienced yet."
Keith joined the squad officially in January of this year, so he's not kidding about being completely new. Since then, he's maintained a steady schedule on his own, without teammates. He goes to school during the day, does his homework in the evening, and plays solo queue every other available minute.
"I only live with the other team members and practice with them when I'm supposed to play in the LCS that week," he explains. "Otherwise, I solo queue or play on Liquid Academy."
Keith admitted that it's sometimes hard to feel connected to his teammates on the core Team Liquid squad when he doesn't get the chance to interact or play with them on a regular basis. But after Piglet struggled to perform his first few weeks, Team Liquid turned once again to their trusty substitute for help.
Before last week's games, Keith was brought back onto the main roster -- at least temporarily. And although Keith has only played with his teammates for two weeks, he says that he already feels a good connection with them.
Waiting To Start
Although other players, like Zachary "Mancloud" Allan Hoschar, have found success as freelance substitutes for multiple teams over multiple splits, this is Keith's first foray into subbing for an LCS team. He initially joined the organization to play ADC on Team Liquid's Challenger team, Team Liquid Academy. Shortly after joining, however, he was offered the substitute position for the main team.
Keith believes he landed his substitute gig mostly because of his solo queue performance, and suggests other prospective subs do the same. "Teams can find substitute players by looking at the solo queue ladder," he explains. "Although it's hard to find skilled players that are available, strong solo queue players that are well-respected have a good chance of becoming a sub on an LCS team."
Playing for two teams isn't always easy, though. Especially if they have different playstyles.
"I think it's better to just play your own style [when you sub for a team]," Keith says. "I didn't really think about trying to copy Piglet's style of play when I subbed for him in Weeks 1 and 5."
And Keith doesn't take those weeks for granted. Every time he steps on the NA LCS stage, he knows he's performing an on-the-job interview for every prospective LCS team in the world.
"The way I see it," he says, "is that each game I play is a chance to prove myself. If you can make a really good impression, I think getting back into the LCS will be really easy."
The Next Steps
In just a few weeks, Keith has put together a pretty compelling resumé for becoming a permanent ADC in the LCS . He's performed exceptionally well in all four games he's played on Team Liquid so far this split, and fans are eager to watch him on stage again this weekend. But, for his part, Keith is mostly just eager to improve.
"Being on the main roster is definitely the best way to improve as a Challenger player," he explains. "Because on the main team, you get to scrim other LCS teams and have an analyst to point out your mistakes and help you fix them."
If what we've seen so far is just Keith's unrefined talent, I can't wait to watch where he grows from here. And, don't worry, Keith is still finding time to enjoy the fun side of his new life on the NA LCS mainstage. He says he's having lots of fun meeting the pros he's watched for years, playing in front of the big crowd, and enviously eyeballing those nice LCS backpacks the full-time pros sport on stage.
But is Keith ready for the challenges that a more permanent position on Team Liquid's roster might bring? His answer is simple.
"I feel the same as I did in Week 1," he says. "It's just another chance to show the world what I'm made of."
Josh Augustine's favorite champion is Gnar, he's never enjoyed a Darius, and he will always go for the kill, even when he knows he shouldn't. He currently works as a game designer on EverQuest Next at Daybreak Games. He’d love to talk with you on Twitter.
