Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Supporting a League from 50 miles away

W

White Gryphon

New Member
One day last month I checked the League listings on the official site to see if any league locations had been set up in central Georgia, USA since I had left for college in coastal GA, and I found one, a new card shop in Warner Robins (15-30 min away from home).

The last time there had been a local league was in 2000, just before the local Books-A-Million sold their souls to YuGiOh and threw away their Pokemon TCG league for lack of interest. Since then I had no one to playtest my deck against except my friends, who are still rather inexperienced at the game and don't really present much of a challenge. I was still able to go online and use Apprentice, but being more of a visual learner I still have a hard time being able to learn from my battles online.

Now we have a league. Unfortunately, they're in Warner Robins, and I'm in Savannah, at least three hours away. And to make matters worse, their league sessions only take place on Mondays, so I can't come home for the weekends to attend League. Yet I still wish to be able to support and promote this League.

Last weekend I came home for Easter. When my mother and I went to WR to pick up art supplies, I remembered the card store and asked my mom to drive me there. It was in a place I recognized, where an old pet shop used to be, right next to an occult store I liked to visit. I walked in and talked to the store clerk, who seemed enthusiastic to have a professor with a local base residence who felt strongly about wanting to support the League. He asked for my name and phone number, and I told him my email address would be on the League website. (Oops, that part of the site is down. I hope he can still use my number.) He told me he would pass this information on to the players.

Now I have a League. But now what do I do? When the summer months come, I will return home, and then I will be able to physically attend League sessions. Right now I'm working on a website that teaches new players how to play, as well as a small compendium of card information and rulings, but is there anything else I can do for the League from where I am? What else can I do to support and promote my League?
 
The thing I can think of is "Advertise, Advertise, Advertise!" Good luck to you, I'm sure it'll be tough, but well worth the work.
 
I have a very similar problem as an overworked PTO.

My league only gets to see me 1-2 times a month in the heavy tourney season.

You need to get a solid #2 person to run things when you are not there.

I am EXTREMELY lucky to have found such a person in Scizorkid for the Gathering Ground in St. Louis.

She is the best, and great with all levels of players.

A solid #2 is your best way to go. Reward the person with whatever bonuses you can, and make SURE to let the league know that when you are not around, she is the go to person.

Chaos reigns without a leader, and without a leader, there is no furthering of your leagues!

Just my 2 cents.

Meganium45
 
Hey

I am busy...not as busy as Meganium 45 as a PTO, I count on my local professors to run league when I am not there...They are a great bunch of helpers...
 
Frankly, I did the same thing on my league even before becoming a certified PTO, what is best about a good 2nd man is the fact that he can take initiatives on his own behalf for the best of the league, but be careful, as he will be having almost as much power as you were, try to keep him happy with his condition, treat him to meals once in a while and take special attention about his opinions, gid, what would have happened with my league uf my team had not come to the rescue, especially giordan, who is now the 2nd best scorekeeper in Mexico, but it is also important to realize that many mistakes will occur in the first coupke of tries, so be patient, I can assure it is worth it.
 
Yes you need a second person to help you. I need my assisant to take over several times a month because I am helping the nearest PTO with big events. Best way I have learned to make a league work is to take advantage of all of the ideas you can think of.

Here is some of the things I do for my league:
1. Since my league isn't very competitive (except on tournaments) so I follow a more classic scoring system simular to that of year 1 of Pokemon League. I award points for TCG Battles (10), Winning TCG (10+), GBA Battles (5), Winning GBA (5+), Attending (10), Trading (10 once a week), Activities (10 (see point 2)), Teaching New Players (20 (see point 3)), and fulfilling the league's special activity (10 plus a promo card (once a season)).
2. I have made a variety of custom activities in the past, if you are not very creative visit http://op.pokemon-tcg.com and log in as a league leader to download some of their activities they have. Remember the activity should help promote current products and events of the Pokemon-e TCG or the Pokemon Game Boy games.
3. The best way for kids to learn to play Pokemon is for someone to teach them how to play. As a league leader you should have 2 thirty card decks teaching the basics for new players (play for three prizes). These training decks should only use cards from the ex series. However encouage your kids at league to teach new members.
4. Make the league fun for everyone so hold 1 to 2 tournaments a month for your players. Encourage modified events so players can understand the new format in the event they participate in premiere events.
5. Get crazy every now and then, hold a crazy event like "Bring your Pokemon Plush toy to league day" and award players for participating. Take nearby holidays to your advantage. I will usually award 10 points and a old promo card from my archives to players who do this.
6. Make the best out of advertising. An idea for subtle advertising is give information to retailers of the Pokemon-e TCG (that don't hold leagues) in case players ask them about it. As league leader try to find shirts that advertise the Pokemon-e TCG and wear them whenever you can. A website is okay but it is not the most reliable method unless the store has a website you can put your info on. If the store itself does any advertising (like tv or radio commerials) encourage them to mention the Pokemon league every now and then.
 
Thank you all VERY much for your advice. I have a hard time asking other people to help me out with difficult things, especially favors such as helping to run a League when I'm not around, but I will give it a try the next time I get a chance to call the store. I have a list of questions that I shall organize and revise so that I can get the information I need from the store owner. As of yet I don't know what promotional items or rewards they give out, if they do give them out, nor do I know if they hold tourneys, have special days, or how they award points; much less do I know what the age range is for the League. But I will find this out in due time. Once again, thanx for your help. :)
 
Bear in mind that none of the players know you.
Help them with whatever they want or need help with, but don't think or act like you're in charge. That will turn them off. After all, they don't know you.
Earn their trust and respect.
Since you won't be there very often, you're not really looking for a number two.
You need to be the number two to whoever is there in person running it.
Assist them with advice and rulings. That kind of thing.
 
Thanks for pointing that out! I need to find out exactly who is in charge of that league as well. I've gone so long at my last League without a GL, I may have gotten used to thinking of a League as without someone in charge. I'm not planning on taking it over, though, I'm not experienced with running anything League-related yet... Although one time I had to stand in as Gym Leader on an off day, I would rather much be there as a source of information and advice. I want my main purpose to be supporting and promoting the league. However, I would like to get some experience in running a League so that I may open one up in Savannah in the near future.

I want to get in contact with the players there as well, in some way, even if it's only through the GL or store clerk. I'm not very good at intentionally building trust or friendships but I will try...
 
What I now know: The Gym Leader is the store clerk, yet if there were someone qualified enough who wished to take up the task of running the league he would gladly give it to them, seeing as how he's so busy running somewhere around 12 other leagues in the same store. (I can't see how that's going to be me, since I'm operating from so far away.) The league currently has 4 players, gives out prize cards for rewards, and could basically run on any day after 4:00 PM.

Once I get my Professor and POP login information straightened out, I will try and see how I can get more prize product sent to the league. The GL is doing everything in his power to advertise the league, but he seems glad to hear of a league website in the works, which leads me to believe that as of yet the league had no website to begin with. He would like very much to have me come up and play some demo games. The main problem with the league is the lack of players, mostly... he knows several former GLs in the area as well as many former players who still have cards but don't have the heart to take up the game.

I'm now trying to see what I can do to support the players the league currently has as well as encourage more visitors to the league. Part of that will include getting more game info on the site... But as of right now that's all I can think of. The GL will be sending me more info once he contacts the players.
 
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