To all you people who don't say a single word in champion select

Start.

I honestly don't care what it is (as long as it's not derogatory). When I get into champion select, the very first thing I do is call my role (if it's bind pick). If it's dynamic queue, I say "hey guys" or "sup everyone" or "ready to give 'em hell?". I say anything to get a dialogue started between the players. Why? Because it creates an atmosphere of comfort and trust right from the get-go. Hell, I've even talked about the weather outside a few times when I couldn't think of anything.

You'd honestly be surprised at how often a few simple words can ease the tension in a lobby. It takes a great load off knowing that the other people you're being forced to spend the next 20-60 minutes with are good guys at heart. There's a face behind that screen; establishing a rapport with it is the first step to reducing potential toxicity. After all, you're less likely to work well with people whom you dislike and/or have no connection to. So obviously the best thing to do if you want good teamwork and communication is to start talking and BUILD that connection. Even if it's just some idle comment about someone's username, or a crack about something that happened in the LCS. Get your team talking!

This isn't even about people who insta-lock in blind pick; this is about people who afk in champion select while automatically assuming that that brief period before the game doesn't matter. Well smarten up, because it DOES matter. It matters if you want to win, it matters if you just want to have fun, and it matters if you're simply interested in meeting like-minded people. If you're in ranked, talk about strategies; what's the game plan for your team? This is exactly why Riot gave us so much time in the first place, and tbh it's the only aspect of dynamic queue that I like. How do you expect to win if you don't have a plan? Yeah yeah, quote Vi all you want ( "Plan? I don't need a plan!"); a team without a plan is like a golfer without clubs. Sure, you could probably kick the ball into the hole. But it would be a long, excruciatingly difficult process that's way more troublesome than it needs to be (not to mention you'd probably end up a billion strokes over par).

If winning isn't important to you (e.g. you're playing normals) that doesn't mean you can just fluff off either. If you don't want to talk about strategy, talk about anything you feel like. What's important is getting along with your team. If you're one of those people who constantly seems to get trolls and ragers in their games, try sparking some conversation in lobby. Because I can almost guarantee you that once you're in-game, those people will think twice about losing their cool on you. They will remember your talk in pre-game lobby, maybe not consciously, but they will remember; they will remember and think "hmm, this guy was really nice to me earlier; I'm not gonna be a dick to him now".

So next time you're in champion select, don't treat it like an empty room. Treat it like a mixer, or a box social, or whatever young people attend these days. Don't pretend like your team doesn't exist, then get into game and wonder "wtf why doesn't my team help me with anything?" Go into champion select with a quip and a smile. Who knows, you may end up making a few friends in the process!