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Interview with DIG CS:GO Fe player, CAth
Catherine "CAth" Leroux has recently come back to the squad, replacing Goosebreeder and taking back the spot she had back in November. She took her time to answer our questions regarding the new challenge ahead, the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival happening this month in Portugal, as well as her motivation going forward.
How does it feel to be back and play with your old teammates again?
Cath: It feels amazing to be back in the team. I honestly missed them a lot and I'm really excited for what the future holds for us!
What have you missed the most from playing under the Team Dignitas banner?
Cath: What I missed the most was having a steady practice schedule. I find that with the girls we have a healthy practice regimen, and we're able to utilize our time efficiently. It's also nice to go back into the routine of practices!
Another thing that I missed a lot is competing. One of the reasons I love this game so much is because we're able to travel a lot and play in international tournaments.
Are you trying to play the same role you had before or are you trying out new things?
Cath: Oh, I try new things all the time. I'm everywhere...! But on a serious note, we did a few changes a month after we started playing together and now I feel a lot more confident and comfortable in my role and I'm looking forward to testing it all out as a team in Portugal!
Did you keep playing and practicing while you were without a team or did you take the opportunity to take a small break from the game?
Cath: While I wasn't on the team is when I played the most CS in the past year or two. I had a lot of time to reflect on what my goals were and what I wanted for my future and I realized that CS is one of the few things I love doing full time. I had the opportunity to take a step back and realized what I needed to change and come back even stronger than ever.
You already played a few ESEA matches with the squad. How is the team atmosphere and team play so far in your opinion?
Cath: Team atmosphere is always number 1 with these girls. We're able to find the right balance when it comes to being serious and when it’s time to crack some jokes and I love it! I always have a good time when I'm playing with them. Regarding our team play, it has gotten so much better in the past month. We did a few tweaking here and there and it really helped us overall in our game play. I'm excited to show the world what we got in Portugal!
How is the preparation for the GIRLGAMER Esports Festival in Portugal going so far? Please tell us what your daily practice routine looks like.
Cath: Preparation is going really well. Our map pool is deep and we're well prepared on any map. I'm writing this right before I'm about to take my flight for our bootcamp in California. So we still have a couple days to grind out the game together with our coach. I find bootcamping helps so much and practice is so much more efficient because we're able to show each other stuff in real time and it allows us to use our time efficiently.
Regarding our practice routine, we play Sunday through Friday from 4:30PST to 10PST. We usually start off the day with going over any notes we have from the previous day, in a server, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. In that time, we dry run strategies, test our flashes, watch a demo, or talk about what we can do differently in a certain situation, etc. After that, we scrim twice and take a 15 minutes break and after we play 1 or 2 more scrims to end the night.
What are your expectations towards that tournament?
Cath: I'm expecting the W of course!
What is your typical pregame ritual? Is there anything you do different at home than at a LAN event?
Cath: I think it's important to keep your pregame ritual the same and replicate whatever you do at home to LAN tournaments. So usually at home, I try to eat something 1 hour before practice, so I don't have a food coma. I like to drink tea, coffee, or any energy drink before we start practicing. I always get really hungry very fast when I play intense matches, so I like to keep a snack or two next to me to keep my energy up. A banana is the perfect snack because it has a lot of potassium and its natural sugar helps you to keep your energy up for a long period of time!
Any words of advice to female gamers who are trying to get into competitive esports, either in a mixed or female only team?
Cath: If you're serious about becoming pro, just be ready to make a lot of sacrifices. It takes a lot of time, energy, sweat, tears, blood (just kidding!) to make it into the scene. I've lost a couple of my friends because I stopped seeing them because I was so busy with practices and tournaments. Fortunately, my family and my close friends understand what I do and why I do it, and in the end, it's all so worth it.
Also, another thing I'd like to say to anyone wanting to become pro, male or female, is to use your game time in a diversified manner. Try to not only scrim, or only DM. You want to find the right balance between pugging, deathmatching, demo watching (watch how they move off of other teammates information, new angles, new utility management, new strategies, etc), playing KZ or bunnyhop maps and always try to surround yourself with players who are better than you. You will learn way faster!
Also, girls... Don't listen to the haters! You have the right to play video games like anybody else and if someone is telling you otherwise, focus on yourself and yourself only and block off any negativity coming your way. Your path to success will be much smoother.
Are there any words you would like to say to wrap up the interview?
Cath: I would like to sincerely thank the girls for believing in me and wanting me back in the team. I'm so excited to be part of the roster again and being able to live my dream. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Also, a big thanks to all of our sponsors, our fans and Team Dignitas to making this possible!
I want to thank Catherine for taking her time to answer my questions and want to wish good luck on her future endeavors. You can stay tuned in her social media: