Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Creating an OP presence in my area.

Controversial

Controversial

New Member
Last league cycle, there was a League (and a few non-premier tournaments) around 40 miles away that I had no problem traveling to, but sometime between September when I stopped following what was going on there due to some personal reasons and a couple of weeks ago the league appears to have stopped reporting results and, after the website redesign, disappeared from the locater entirely. Now it appears that my nearest OP of any sort is 87 miles away. I'm willing to take that trip for premier events and prereleases, but certainly not for league.

I had been thinking about starting up a league here for a while, even before the league I attended died, and now mainly because I feel like doing something positive for the game (and admittedly partially for reasons as a player to have local people to play against and get more use out of these cards that I'm spending money on) I think I want to take that step.

But my main concern is how I'm going to get any interest. I left the game around the time the e-card series' began to come out primarily because the leagues died, and it seems to me that they never came back. When I was returning last year, I found that the card shops didn't even stock product for Pokemon anymore.

Long story short, I don't know what kind of demand is out there, or how I would make it known to any potentially interested parties that there is a place relatively nearby for them to come out to. There are a lot of league owners/leaders that float around the Gym, I know, so I hope some of you have experience with coming into a similar situation and can offer some advice.
 
Card/comic/game shops may or may not be the place for league. Some have a teens and up attitude. Others have extremely limited seating. If they're not carrying the product, that's another negative. Community centers and empty restaurants are potential league venues.

"Being there" is my strategy. I run a league at a Taco Bell (called the manager for the OK). Just show up. Have old promos and stuff for kids and parents who look on curiously. Put out fliers at the premiere events 87 miles away. Put out fliers at other local venues that will let you put out fliers (community bulletin boards, like in the market?).

There's a league flier blank somewhere from OP that I can't find the link to at the moment. If anyone knows that link, can you post it?
 
Taking the initiative to talk to young people would be a good idea too unless you can't figure out how to do that without being creepy! LOL. No, but seriously, if you carry a few older promos with you, with a business card sized piece of paper (or actual business cards), and when you see the kids showing an interest in games/pokemon/or maybe a pokemon shirt you happen to have on, you can hand out these. I've had some good success that way.

You can also mention to the PTO who runs events in your area if you can leave some flyers in conspicuous places at his/her events that announce your league location (or possible league location), with your phone number.

I can't find the link to the flyer blank either. I'm assuming they've taken it down to update it.
 
Once you have the league location set up, and the players start to come, try to determine their interest as well. If they like the VG portion gear most of the league towards that, the trading card game, more towards that. If they like tournaments where they get bragging rights, then have regular tournaments, team battles, then work on team battle stuff. It's a matter of just doing what the league members are more apt to be excited about. Keeping it relevant, that's the key.
 
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