Hi gang,

This week, I want to talk about how you go about setting up a Hobby League in your local shop. First off, here’s a brief recap of what’s coming up over the next several months for the league:

March kit – City Championships

April kit – Random Punks Tournament

May kit – Spider-Man Tournament

June kit – World’s Finest Release Celebration

July kit – World’s Finest City Championships

Each kit also includes four weeks worth of Hobby League tournament support. The March kit is available for order now, and the deadline to place an order is March 5^th.

Step 1: Tell your local store you want them to host a Hobby League. Make sure they place their order by March 5^th to ensure they receive their kit on time.

Step 2: Work with your local shop to pick a date to hold your Hobby League and City Championships. City Championships can be held anytime between March 23^rd and April 15^th.

Step 3: Spread the word among the players in your area. When the kit arrives, make sure your shop puts the posters up.

Step 4: Run a great event and have fun!

Are you interested in becoming a tournament organizer so you can run sanctioned events in your local shop? If so, the first thing you need is a UDE number. To get one, all you need to do is e-mail ude@upperdeck.com, with “UDE #” in the subject line. You then need to take the online T.O. test at www.ude.com/op/certprogram.aspx. All the documents you’ll need to pass the test are located here: www.ude.com/policy

If you’re interested in becoming even more involved in promoting Vs. System, the UDE Demo Team might be right for you. Go here to find out more or to fill out an application to apply.

If your shop still needs to become a tournament store and set up an Upper Deck account, have them visit www.ude.com/tournamentstore and fill out the application. Then they can send the application and all supporting documentation to we@upperdeck.com, or fax it to 866-366-6302 ATTN: Will Estela.

If you are interested in becoming more than just a player and getting involved with your local scene, here are some tips on how you can help grow the Vs. System community in your area. Some of these come from personal experience, and some come from players who have been sharing their ideas on VsRealms.com and via e-mail. Obviously, the goal is to have a good time—it doesn’t matter if you’re ultra-competitive or ultra-casual.

• If you’re running the event, start on time, know the rules, and follow them.
• Reward players for playing off-the-wall decks. They may not win a lot of games, but you want to encourage them to keep trying and reinforce the fact that they don’t have to play the deck of the week to have a good time.
• Run a tournament within a tournament. Things like awarding a prize for the top finisher under a certain age or rating is a good way for people who are new to walk away with a positive experience, and to look forward to coming back for more.

• Collect e-mail addresses from all the players in your area. Start a weekly Vs. System e-mail list informing and reminding everyone of upcoming leagues and tournaments. You can even mention highlights from the past week’s events.
• Start up a community bulletin board on a site such as Delphi or Yahoo Groups for your local player base. Make it a place where players can find places to play, discuss strategy, and basically just hang out with the locals.
• Run your events on a consistent basis. Once you find a day and time that works for the majority of your players, stick with it. Players like to know they can count on their regular dose of Vs. System.  
• Mix up your formats. Constructed, Draft, 2-player teams—whatever your group wants to do.

I’m sure there are lots of other good ideas out there, and I encourage you all to share them with each other and with us as well. Building a local community takes a lot of work, but it is also very rewarding. The Vs. System team here at UDE is actively looking for ways to support the local scene and give the players who want to step up and be active in the Vs. community the tools they need to succeed. We are working on this issue daily. As more new programs become a reality, you will all be the first to know.

Best,

Scott

Upper Deck Entertainment