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*An Ode to My First Month - g2019 - 08-06-2021 When I had the idea to write this media piece, I figured I would take a look back at the off-season point task, which focused on users we are grateful for. I was amazed to see that I completed it less than a month ago...it seems like so much has happened since then (and it has!). I want to share a bit about my experience as a new user in the league, and, even more importantly, give a genuine shout-out to users who I have grown to appreciate, admire, and connect with. It is simply incredible how naturally and seamlessly I was able to integrate into this community. Oftentimes, with online communities, there can be gate-keeping or a desire for users to protect something they enjoy from being impacted by new users. This league could not be any different than that...I am astounded by how sincere, helpful, and welcoming everyone has been. Anyway, rather than waxing poetic about these folks in this intro and in a general fashion, I’ll just do so in a direct and individual way as I continue on Discovery and Introduction The date was Tuesday, June 29, 2021 and I found myself scrolling through Reddit. At the time, I was umpiring a fake baseball game for a league I’m in (Baseball By the Numbers) and I saw a post on r/WisconsinBadgers that caught my eye. “Come Join the ISFL and Live Out Your Football Dreams!” Needless to say, whoever came up with that tagline deserves mad props, because it hooked me into reading the post. As I read through the post, a lot of things caught my eye: “control one player”, “archetypes”, “attributes”, that fact that there was a draft, locker rooms, and notably, the fact that your activity dictates how much you can improve your player. At this point, I knew I wanted to at least give it a try. As a general sports fan, someone who has always been intrigued by scouting/drafting/trading/management, as well as a fan of RPGs and other games with progression systems, it was worth it for me to at least give this a try. Hey, if I didn’t like it, no problem. But if I did… After weighing MANY different positions, I decided to create as a kicker. I wanted to be heavily involved in team success, and who scores more than kickers?! My unoriginal self decided on the name “Sconnie McKicks”, a variation of the “Sconnie McSwings” moniker I use in Baseball by the Numbers. I decided I could best help my team by becoming an accurate kicker, and pumped a good deal of TPE into that. Soon, I was in the rookie discord and chatting with mentors and draftees alike. It took me a while to figure out if people were new creates or recreates, but many times the recreates were willing to help just as much as the rookie mentors, which was awesome to see! From daily rookie chat questions (typically provided by Schwarz), to HalfEatenOnionBagel’s S31 pre-DSFL draft HYPE thread, to shitposting Trailer Park Boys memes in #rookies-only, to the DM’s and conversations had across servers, I quickly felt a bond with many of my fellow rookies. It is during this time that I really decided I wanted to be a max earner and not simply a casual user in this league. The ISFL was just checking so many boxes for me: friendly, diverse, positive, fun users, a progression system that I was a huge fan of, payoff for being active and contributing to the buzz and realism of the league, and simulated sports! Scouting and Draft As we approached the draft, people began reaching out to me to scout, and this process was, in a word, FASCINATING. It’s like these folks were treating their jobs like they were real scouts, assessing prospective draftees for things like flexibility, goals, and fit. I absolutely loved this process, and truly appreciate each and every conversation I had, and I cannot wait to get involved in some war room activity for Norfolk here shortly! This was not only a great way to try to gauge team interest (and which teams I was interested in), but for a new user like myself to make some connections with users from multiple teams and across the league. All in all, an amazing experience that I can’t wait to help replicate for other users in the future. After what seemed like FOREVER, draft night was finally upon us. Based on the information that I had gathered, along with my own hunch, I figured I might go in the 2nd or 3rd round. I was a brand new user in a draft with so many other great users and players, including recreates who have proven records of activity and production. I was eager with anticipation to see where I would end up, who my new teammates were, and if I would be changing positions. Throughout my scouting I had found that everybody asked me if I would be willing to switch, and to what positions. I was pretty wide-open on that, just wanted to avoid Defensive Tackle and Offensive Tackle, really (sorry CalvinGolladay!). Most of all, I was hoping that I would be drafted to Norfolk. Having been in the public portion of their locker room was an amazing experience, they had so many great, sincere, and helpful users, and they seemed like the best fit for me. Now don’t get me wrong, I would have played for whatever team drafted me, but Norfolk topped my list (followed by London, love you Katarn!). I sat down to watch the draft (turning the stream on my TV about 15 minutes early (fellow anxiety sufferers, you know) and waited, excited to see where I would end up, as well as where my fellow rookie friends would go. I tried to convince myself that, ultimately, it didn’t matter what pick I was drafted with...I just wanted to go to Norfolk or London. As the draft began, I settled in, my wife by my side (ever supportive in my hobbies, no matter how nerdy). 1st pick...Ken Oath to Bondi Beach. This wasn’t surprising; Thor is a fantastic user and a proven recreate, and has been instrumental in Bondi’s success this season. Norfolk had the 2nd pick, and I was anxious to see who they would take. I had, somewhat jokingly, told Negs before the draft that I was gunning for that 2OA pick they had, but messaged him again and corrected myself after realizing I hadn’t thought about recreates. I felt I held my own well against true noobies, but not necessarily against proven users. 2nd pick...Sconnie McKicks to Norfolk. To say I was thrilled would be a disservice and a poor representation of my elation in this moment. I jumped up out of my chair, pumped my fist, shouted some ecstatic and uncensored affirmative phrases, sat back down, and then simply said, “Wow”. I had gone to my preferred team and been given the honor of being the 2nd overall pick in this loaded draft. I was, and still am, pretty dumbfounded by this night. I was sent a locker room invite to the Norfolk LR proper, came in, and was ecstatic. But the night was not over. I was eager to see who would be joining me as a Seawolves rookie. I still don’t know how they did it, but Negs, TMo, and the Norfolk war room staff pulled together an AMAZING draft! Pick after pick, they selected fantastic, positive, active, and energetic users. I have no idea how they pulled it off, but I was absolutely jacked about the draft, and moving through this season, interacting with those folks, and seeing their gains has only reaffirmed my feelings on that. Shortly after the draft, Negs and I started talking about a position swap: he wanted me to be the team’s middle linebacker. As I had stated to all teams who scouted me, I was completely open to switching positions to whatever would help the team, and I agreed to the switch immediately. Negs and I started working on my build that instant, and I was thrilled to be playing such a vital role in our defense. Additionally, I then committed to an idea I had previously only pondered: a name change, from Sconnie McKicks to a now more appropriate Sconnie McHits. This would cost me $4 million, a pretty penny for a new create rookie, but I was committed to churning out media and tweeting (two things I enjoy, anyway) to make this happen, and I did. The Season Heading into the season, it was clear we would be facing an uphill battle. Our team was the lowest in TPE by a wide margin and having no capped players, having been ravaged by callups. Despite this fact, we knew that we would get better as the season went on; we would be gaining TPE while other teams’ players who were capped, remained capped. I immediately took action to create locker room buzz and work hard to contribute to the positive locker room culture that countless members of the LR were working so hard to create and maintain. I found myself absolutely falling in love with the league, even while my player had never even played a down yet. I was honored and humbled to be named a defensive captain and be given a chance to join the war room. Negs, TMo, and the rest of the leadership (along with my teammates) understood that I could maximize my impact (and my own experience) by being given permission and encouragement to lead, and for that I am incredibly thankful. It really does put me in my element, and is very natural for me. Preseason was soon upon us, and we were hyped to see our little dots move around on that virtual field for the first time. I threw the stream up on the big screen and soaked it all in. Our team performed decently, with a 2-2 preseason record and wins over London and Dallas. I was a bit bummed, as my player did not make too many impact plays, but he did have a good number of tackles (as a MLB should). We moved on to the regular season, full of hope and optimism that this ‘little tugboat that could’ would play spoiler and upset some teams who had much higher TPE than us. After a somewhat encouraging 8 point loss to Bondi Beach, our next three games were rough, to be honest, as we lost to Dallas, Kansas City, and London by a combined 82 points. We vented to each other in the LR, as well as through DMs, but also made sure we kept things positive afterwards and focused on the progress we were making. Week 5 and 6 brought losses against Portland and Tijuana, but we played MUCH better than we had in the previous three weeks. We started getting some stops, and our offense started clicking a bit more, with our running and passing game shining with help from our offensive line. I have always held myself to super high standards (both IRL and in whatever I do), so I was pretty critical of my performances. I was at or near the league lead in tackles, but we were on the field a lot and that is what was expected of me. I wanted to be making more impact plays and forcing turnovers to better help my team be successful. In repeated conversations with Negs, we basically agreed to “trust the process” and that the stats and impact plays would come in time. I was just going to keep grinding, earning, and doing everything I could to help the team. Week 7...the now famous Week 7. We came into this game hoping to do some good things on the field and let the chips fall where they may. Minnesota was a phenomenal team, filled with good management, great users, and many capped and high TPE players, so we knew there was a chance it could get ugly. Again...we were just going to focus on what we could control, which at game time, was absolutely nothing. We were just along for the ride. The game deserves far more analysis than I will give it here, but I know I will be discussing it on my podcast and others are contemplating media surrounding it, as well. The Cliffnotes version is this: we hung with them in the first half, even taking a lead. In fact, the emphatic response from some of us in the locker room was, “Oh my god, we are beating Minnesota!”. When it was still a tight game at halftime, we were thrilled. When the third quarter ended and we were in it, we dared to dream. When an emphatic 21 point 4th quarter propelled us to a two score victory, we were simply euphoric and dumbfounded. I mean, “sim gonna sim”, but seriously? Did that actually just happen?! Some of us jumped into voice chat immediately, and the hype was unreal. We had gotten our first win, a win we had all worked so hard for. We had done it for ourselves, for our teammates, for our leadership, and for our alumni. Luckily and interestingly, this was the game where my player decided to make a big play, with an 89 yard pick six helping us secure the win in the fourth quarter. The relief and enthusiasm in the locker room was fantastic, and the activity was buzzing. Alumni popped in to say congratulations and talk about how proud they were of us. Leadership did the same, and we pumped each other up, as well. It was a tremendous event and feeling, and one I hope to experience again and again in this league. Reflections and Gratitude That brings us to today. I am now officially 39 days into my ISFL career, and I find myself loving this league more and more with each passing day. As SchwarzNarr always alludes to, this league is so much more about the people and the connections than the football. It goes well beyond dots moving around on the screen. It is a diverse, intelligent, genuinely caring community that happens to find join in simulation sports, statistics, drafting/scouting, strategy, progression, or one of the other million processes this league uses. Over the past month, I have met so many strangers from the internet that I now consider friends. We talk on a daily basis, both about the league and real life. We laugh together, we empathize with each other, and we grow in appreciation of each other. The main reason I wanted to write this article was to have a medium in which I could give folks a genuine and heartfelt thank you. So here we go… @SchwarzNarr: You are an incredible, kind, thoughtful, and humble human. You have been far and away the most helpful user I have met since joining. We talk every day and are able to connect about our passion: the work we do with kids. You are simply the best, and I appreciate everything you do for me, for others, and for the league. @negs: Ever since our first scouting conversation, we really connected. I think we are similar in a lot of ways, as we are both super passionate about our team, being leaders, and helping others. I sincerely appreciate all of the guidance you have given me and all the help you have been willing to provide...from chatting about TPE and builds to allowing me to vent about losses or my on-field performance. Love ya, bud! @Sonaclov: Brother, we just click. We are both very driven and take joy in pushing each other. As new creates, we have really dove headfirst into this league and are committed to being the best we can be, helping our team, and enjoying our time as much as we can. I truly hope we can continue to play together when we move to the ISFL, because I love being your teammate. You are the kind of user every team wants in their LR, and your player is killing it on the field, as well! @HasumiKi: Dude, you are another example of a fantastic teammate and person. You are always active in the LR, especially around game time. I really appreciate your prospective as a non-newbie and you’ve taught me a lot. I also really enjoyed playing some Overwatch with you, and we’ll have to keep doing that! I know you have been very critical of yourself at times this season, but I want you to know you are a fantastic person and your player is a great cornerback. More picks are coming! @Michiganonymous: I was super pumped when I saw Norfolk drafted you as well, as I was really impressed by you pre-draft. You are always so positive to others and have really come into your own as far as creating your on-field persona, doing media, and tweeting. I know the stats haven’t come yet, but mark my words, you are going to be a HUGE player in this league. You will be a name everybody knows, and I see you being here for the long haul. Thank you for all you do for me and contribute to our team...you are a rockstar! @IsaStarcrossed: I’m not gonna lie, you are kind of intimidating sometimes, but in a good way. It’s because you are just so incredibly knowledgeable about this league and have so many connections. You know so much of the history and about the processes of the league, and I love that I have you as a resource. You never make me feel like my questions are stupid, and always take the time to give well thought-out answers. You encourage all of us to enjoy our time, find enjoyment in the league, and keep grinding. I see you and Schwarz as the league’s power couple, and you’re definitely on my ISFL Mount Rushmore @Tesla: You are another user who is on my ISFL Mount Rushmore. I simply cannot thank you enough for, well, being you! I’m convinced you are actually the sweetest person in the world, and nobody can tell me otherwise. You always seem to be around when people are unhappy, frustrated, or struggling, either in the sim or in real life, and you ALWAYS give support and kindness. You are a genuine gift to this community, and I’m so appreciative to know you. @SnowyWolfz: You are so incredibly friendly and kind. You are the ultimate team player, taking it upon yourself to boost others up and making sure everyone else feels welcome and supported. Don’t lose sight of your own worth; the LR would not function without you around. On the field, you’re part of the best WR corps in the DSFL, and you are killin’ it! @MN_Moosey: You are so talented and do so many things around the league and for PBE. I really admire your initiative and ability, and yet how approachable you are. You are a big deal in these leagues, and yet you are in our LR acting just like us new creates, taking the season in and grinding to get better. I really appreciate how you support your teammates and always keep a level head. @"Netlandic": We are very similar in our excitement for the league and love for media related to it. I love chatting about the leagues with you, and I hope we can play together in the ISFL. You are intelligent and poised beyond your years, and you will continue to do great things in this league and in real life. There are so many other users who deserve mention for their support and friendship so far, and I want to make sure I name some other notable ones as well. Shoutout @woelkers, @MMFLEX, @Jimi64, @katarn22, @CalvinGolladay, @"Gbeck765", @Blasoon, @TeyonSchavari, @Rangerjase, @HalfEatenOnionBagel, @TubaMasterFlex, @Twinsfan87, @siddhus, @Greenbaynathan, @SirBongo, @TMosura, @NepNeppy, and @Patey For those I forgot to mention or are currently getting to know more, and there are probably many of you, please accept my heartfelt thank you as well. It’s been a fantastic month for G2019...here’s to hoping for many more! RE: An Ode to My First Month - negs - 08-06-2021 this man is gonna be a GOAT RE: An Ode to My First Month - SchwarzNarr - 08-06-2021 I am so thankful you joined Norfolk, rookie chat, and the league as a whole. You have been such a positive and upbeat force for a team that has been rebuilding for awhile. You don't let the losses get you down, you always focus on the positive, and you work hard to make sure the entire team is as strong as it can possibly be. I'm thankful for all of the kind words and the fact we've been able to bond about the league and working for schools. You are absolutely one amazing human. RE: An Ode to My First Month - Net - 08-06-2021 Much love to you to Sconnie, glad I've gotten the chance to be in the same draft class as you and share these experiences! RE: An Ode to My First Month - Rangerjase - 08-06-2021 Happy to have made the thread McKicks! RE: An Ode to My First Month - HasumiKi - 08-06-2021 @negs Going to be a GOAT? He already is! Such an awesome guy to have around the LR @g2019 and you bet there's big things coming in Norfolk with you heading the defense! RE: An Ode to My First Month - Michiganonymous - 08-06-2021 These dang onions... RE: An Ode to My First Month - woelkers - 08-06-2021 I'm not crying you're crying.