Spirit coach hally: donk is a player with unique skills

Coach Sergey Shavaev | hally, along with Danil Kryshkovets | donk, was a key figure in the magnificent transition from academy players to BB Dacha champions.

After Spirit claimed the BB Dacha championship, Coach hally was interviewed by HLTV. During the interview, he addressed several points.

Q: What journey have you traveled from building the team in 2022 to now?

A: I had complete freedom in assembling the team as I wished. The first roster (chopper, magixx, degster, Patsi, s1ren) comprised players I had previously worked with in the academy. I was also an assistant to Certi. I saw the potential in chopper and believed that with some polishing, he could become a leader in the game, guiding these young players towards success. Thus, we cooperated, which was why we built the first and second rosters.

Q: Let's talk about the coaching ban. How did it feel coming back with Spirit?

A: It wasn't pleasant. I dreamed of taking these young players from tier-four tournaments to a Major. But when we finally made it to the Major, the ban came, and I had to adapt. It didn't feel fair; however, I'm glad that Spirit's belief remained intact.

Q: How did you discover donk?

A: Do you want the full story?

Q: Why not?

A: I first heard about him from a recommendation by a player in the academy. Although he had been playing from platforms, he had great talent. He already had an offer from Natus Vincere's academy team. We reached out to him, and after he interacted with us, he chose to join Spirit. The rest is history; he progressed rapidly and is now an HLTV MVP.

Q: What made him choose Spirit over NaVi? Was it because of your belief in young players?

A: Our academy had greater potential, and we had excellent coaches, which was one deciding factor. Another reason was our quicker actions.

Q: I'd also like to discuss Spirit's ruthless actions. Removing s1ren, Ihor Zhdanov | w0nderful, letting go of Patsi, and bringing in three academy players to rebuild the team. Now, looking back, management's judgment was good, but internally, how did you feel about these actions?

A: After failing to qualify for the Paris Major, the team hit rock bottom. Since that was one of our minimum goals, my thought, or rather, the team's thought at the time, was that the core lineup needed a rebuild. Simultaneously, the Spirit academy team achieved incredible results. They even made it into the HLTV Top30, which is commendable. I knew the integrated main team players could adapt well to the team's system and contribute collectively to CS.

Myroslav Plakhotia | zont1x is a perfect entry fragger for the main team, and that's how I see him. He's impeccable in this role. As for donk, he has unique skills, a 'slow-motion' mode, if you will. Artem Kharitonov | ArtFr0st, as an AWPer, has better communication skills than w0nderful. In my system, the AWPer is crucial for many operations, so he's essential for the entire system. That's why I believe this lineup will succeed. Although equally talented, the new players are more adaptable to the team's system than the previous ones.

Q: Players refer to it as the hally system, hally's pauses. What is your strategic position? Does this Spirit reflect your gaming vision?

A: Everyone on the team can suggest their ideas. I also seek the players' opinions on some details, but for significant things, I communicate with chopper, as he's the in-game leader. Overall, this is my system, my gaming vision, and I'm responsible for match strategy and pre-game preparation.

Q: You must be very proud after this win?

A: I'm extremely proud now. But at the same time, we need to work on tactical systems, mid-rounds, and internal communication.