It was a good weekend for Aidan Joseph “5fire” Reckamp. A 2021 NA Scouting Grounds victory, the honor of being awarded MVP for the event, And crazily enough, anything below that would have been seen as a disappointing performance.
One of the most dominant players in the amateur scene, he continues to search for a home with a LCS organization. His individual accolades and team accolades continue to add up however acceptance from the LCS club continues to escape him.
5fire’s style of play is comparable to that of a “west coast” style quarterback. He isn’t a gunslinger, he isn’t a dual-threat quarterback. He’s a quarterback that elevates the people around him, plays to the strengths of his receivers rather than individually carrying the offense. Oftentimes, these types of quarterbacks are known for their excellent decision-making and precise passing. While not necessarily glamorous, they’re often times some of the best in the league for a really long time.
Labeled as a facilitator in the mid-lane, it downplays some of the exceptional work he has produced. His ability to partner with his teammates and elevate their level of play adds to his resume. He would show off 10 champions in 17 games during the LCS Proving Grounds 2021 Spring — adjusting his game around the likes of Omran “V1per” Shoura and Ross “Value” Luppino. But despite playing towards his team’s needs, he continues to produce excellent damage per minute numbers while also holding his own in the laning phase.
It’s been the big reason why he transitions incredibly well into new environments.
In 2019, he would sub into the Evil Geniuses Academy line-up as Ahmad “Giyuu” Charif would battle visa complications. It was a huge step for a player that took advantage of a second appearance at a Scouting Grounds event — with his original 2018 SG appearance being less than memorable. Pairing well with future No Org teammate Andy “AnDa” Hoang, 5fire would go 8-4 in 12 appearances, individually shining on Zoe. His performance wouldn’t be enough to keep him on but it was enough to tip your cap to.
That’s kind of his issue.
He doesn’t do a lot to melt your brain, he does a lot that you respect, a lot that really looks great on film compared to highlight reels. He presents his resume, not his montage. Despite being a play-maker, he’s not necessarily capturing all of the attention. Playing with confidence is unfortunately not appreciated as much as hard carrying.
Prospects that have leaped over him in recent memory provide that wrinkle to their game. To some, the new best mid-lane prospect is Bradley “Bradley” Benneyworth. In his past 50 competitive games, he has had 16 games were he has recorded over 10 kills — including appearances at this year’s Scouting Grounds, LCS Proving Grounds 2021 Summer and Challengers Uprising Season 3 Play-offs. In 5fire’s last 100 games, he’s only broken the 10 kill mark twice. A meaningless stat to some instead can be viewed as a gauge of potential for others.
There is an element of literary tragedy to 5fire’s story.
Compare it to the dynamic between Summer and Tom in 500 Days of Summer. To somewhat spoil the movie, the movie follows Tom’s perspective as he recovers from being dumped by Summer — a girl he thought was the love of his life and the girl he would marry. He re-tells his side of the story only to realize there are two sides to it. Formerly a free spirit, she introduces herself as now married — which surprises Tom. His shock at the announcement leads to his beautiful exchange:
Summer : I just… I just woke up one day and I knew.
Tom : Knew what?
Summer : What I was never sure of with you.
God that movie was so good.
It was a brutal lesson for Tom that sometimes, you aren’t the one for someone. That while they may be the love of your life, the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, you may not be the love of theirs. It is a reality we as people sometimes love to ignore.
We don’t know why organizations aren’t taking the flier on 5fire compared to other prospects or talents available. We create these conversations in our head that they’re doing something wrong — they’re not seeing clear evidence in front of them. But we don’t know what they value, what they look for. Instead of asking, “Why not 5fire” the question should be, “Why that player?”
Unfortunately, 5fire isn’t the sexiest of prospects. It doesn’t mean he’s a bad one. He’s a player that could easily step into an LCS line-up and perform admirably. Once again, his facilitator style of play elevates his teammates and an asset to any organization looking to build up an incredible top, jungle or marksman player. But he has still struggled to have his personal shining moment. Even in his MVP performance at Scouting Grounds, even in his LCS Proving Grounds 2021 Spring victory, the focus is on the team aspect of things.
It is still unsure if he will get an opportunity on an academy line-up. As we’re learning, coaches are bringing in “their guys.” A rumored off-season transaction that is scratching heads is Dignitas bringing over Ersin “Blue” Gören. However, it is pretty understandable given the rumored head coach of Dignitas is Ilias “Enatron” Theodorou — his former coach on 1907 Fenerbahçe Esports.
But this does feel like a much better situation for 5fire.
Academy teams are beginning to open up roster spots in the mid-lane.
2021 was a great year for 5fire. While it may not have been the route he wanted to take, it has put him in a much better position. He’s continued to improve his craft and continued to make cases for why he’s a valuable asset to any team.
And if it doesn’t work out, it may be time to re-evaluate what he’s doing. You can only blame the scouts and the organizations for so long.
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