‘Attitude, Not Mechanics, Wins World Championships’ – Coach Tictac

Team Liquid stands as the league’s longest-tenured and most intact roster in MPL Philippines since Season 9. Coach Tictac, KarlTzy, Jaypee, Sanford, and Sanji have been together for seven seasons or four years. 

The name on the jersey has changed over the years—from Aura to ECHO to Team Liquid—but the gears driving the team have remained the same.

Now that they’re gunning for the Golden Road at the M7 World Championship, we turn to the one man who has witnessed these changes through the years: Archie Reyes, aka Coach Tictac. 

For Coach TicTac, the most important change he has witnessed over the years has little to do with drafts or execution.

“Their maturity,” TicTac said. “Sobrang laking bagay ng maturity kasi diyan nabubuo ang chemistry.”

(“Maturity is a huge factor, because that’s where chemistry is built.”)

Back then, chemistry was difficult to manufacture. Everyone was new, still learning how to exist not just as players, but as teammates sharing pressure, expectations, and a long season together. In Season 8, they were branded “Super Team” only to fall embarrassingly short of expectations. 

“Sobrang hirap kasi dati dahil lahat kami bago,” Coach Tictac added. “Pero ngayon, nabuo na yung chemistry namin dahil nag mature na ang mga bata.”

(“It was really difficult before because we were all new. But now, our chemistry has come together because the kids have matured.”)

That maturity, according to TicTac, did not arrive overnight. It came with time, experience, and a clearer understanding of what it means to be part of a championship-level environment. It also became the foundation for how the organization evaluates talent.

Coach Tictac: Attitude Wins World Championships

Earlier, Team Liquid PH general manager Mitch Liwanag spoke about the team’s long-term philosophy—how roster decisions are never made for a single series or a short-term fix. TicTac echoed that sentiment, but narrowed it down to one non-negotiable trait.

“Sa akin, attitude,” he said. “Kasi yun ang key kung magkakaroon ng chemistry sa team.”

(“For me, it’s attitude. That’s the key to building chemistry within the team.”)

For TicTac, attitude is the baseline. Mechanics can be refined through training. Game sense can be taught. But ego, once deeply rooted, is far harder to correct.

“Kapag may ego yung bata, mahirap siyang ibahin, lalo na kapag matagal ka na,” he explained.

(“When a young player has an ego, it’s hard to change them—especially when they’ve been that way for a long time.”)

It is a perspective shaped by years of managing elite players under constant scrutiny. In a scene where raw skill often dominates scouting conversations, TicTac’s philosophy pushes against the usual hierarchy of value.

When asked directly if attitude wins world championships, his answer was immediate.

“Yes.”

And when pressed further—whether attitude outweighs mechanics—he did not hesitate.

“Para sa akin, yes,” TicTac said. “Kasi ang skills, natututuhan iyan. Yung attitude, nasa tao na iyan.”

(“For me, yes. Skills can be learned. Attitude, that’s already in a person.”)

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