Hello fellow trainers..This isn't the first time i've submited
something to Pojo..but this is the first time i've sat down
and writen something I've been meaning to write....In
a nut shell..It's about a normal Saturday at Pokemon
League..how it works and what your Gym Leaders may
or may not be doing to bring you a good League..
And then i'll let you know some things you can do to fix
if you have a bad League

First off..I'll let you know how a normal day goes
for me..I'll start slightly before League so as not to bore
you all..but first i'll give you some insight on myself..the
League i work at and my other fellow Gym Leaders.

I go by the name of FoxStar and I live in Daytona
Beach,Fla USA..I just became a Gym Leader
a few months back when the old one left for a new
store...So togeter with Howard,Butch and the head
Gym Leader..We run the Pokemon League at Books
A Millon.

Being a Gym Leader is NOT easy if your doing it right
and putting a lot effort..There's stuff to mail,promos to
check up on and make sure that the badges and the like
need for the next season are in,new trainers to teach
and sign up and a ton of other things.

With this report i want to let you know what a normal
day is like at League for me..and maybe for that
hard working guy or girl who runs yours.


1:00pm-2:00pm=Shower,dress and get ready for League.

This means packing up my stuff (Card binders) in my book
bag,makeing sure i've got my deck and mat and damage
counters..etc..etc.

2:00-3:00p,=Get a ride to League and Set up for League.

Most of the time i get a ride with Howard,my friend and fellow
Gym Leader to Books-A-Million where our League is. Then
there's the matter of lugging out tables and chairs,getting a ladder
to hang up the Pokemon League banner and then getting the cart
that we bring all the promos,badges and the like out on.


3:00-4:00pm=League Time!

This is one of the busyest times of the day..I've got nametags to
make sure get put on every one of our trainers,stamp books and
promo card stickers,get new books set up,send trainers to our
head Gym Leader to get badges and their name on the Badge
Reporting Form,Promo Cards to award,Coach Tests to give
and grade,TGC tips to give and other things that add up.

In case your wondering..I don't get to play anymore..There's far
too much to be done to have me sitting down while 30 trainers
need things..Not that there's not trainers who don't want to play..
I get asked 5-8 times in a half-hour to play.

Not only is there that..but the sadder and seedyer part of Pokemon...
Watching out for Poketheifs and Deck checking.

While waiting out for Poketheifts can be explaned..I've
had some heat on counting decks..I don't even count every
trainer's deck..just ones that seem fishy..And i'm allmost
allways right..I get decks that are 3-4 cards over 60. While
this may seem nitpicky..I'm not going to let a cheater earn points
at my League like that..Badges are for earning..not just getting
for the heck of it..I curtail Sudden Death Matches and Battles
before League as well..I don't yell I just don't give points.

I'm not the only one busy..Howard is busy at his PC setting up
for the torny that we hold every week after Pokemon League..
He works a lot for League as well,buying us tables and chairs
and towing his own desktop PC along everyweek so that
our tournys can be DCI santioned..Once he's finished setting
up then he's seated at it,takeing new Trainers's names and entering
them into the database so they can be ranked...This is a non
stop job and it's offen made harder with his takeing money
to enter Trainers into the weekly tourney.

Butch can be found watching Trainers to make sure they don't
cheat at the coach's test as well as training new trainers in the art
of the game.

Our Head Gym Leader does much what i do,helping to keep
my head above water:)

4:00-4:30pm=Winding up League/Getting ready for tourney.

This is a even rougher part of the day..I get mugged by those
wanting points before League ends for the day..And plus there's
those getting ready for tourney so Howard's job becomes harder.

Once 4:30 rolls around..League's over..I put the pushcart away
and my stamper into my pocket.

4:30-5:00pm=Getting ready for the tourney.

This is slighly easyer..The Head Gym Leader leaves,but there's
still stuff to do..A weekly League Report is filled out and mailed
off along with the Badge Report form..And the Pokemon League
stuff must be put away.

Trainers also have to be seated and helped before the tourney starts
Those who aren't in it have to be sent home and this doesn't help me
win any friends=P

5:00-8:30pm=Tourney Time!

This is a long one..As per DCI rules..there are 8 matches.20 mins a
round with
a 60 secound prepare time at the start of each match..Between
matches,trash
has to be taken care of,prizes must be gotten and judge calls have to be
taken
care of.

Mostly we have between 20-28 trainers enter each week..and it's growing.

At the end,the prizes are awarded and it's over for the trainers..but
not for us..

8:30-??? (Sometimes 9:30pm!)=Clean up.
After a long day you want to just curl up and sleep..But nope..
Tables and chairs must be taken down and put away,the main banner has to

be taken down each week and folded up and put away..and then there's
trash
detal..If we leave the store messy..then Pokemon Leauge is over..for
good=P

That's a Saturday in the life of me..A Pokemon Gym Leader..A long
7 hour day..with NO pay..I don't work for Books a Million..I come out
of my own free will and do this..Why?..Because I love the Game and i
love
League.

And i'm guessing that there are other Gym Leaders who have Saturdays
like this
or even longer..They love it like i do..Don't forget about them if you
know one.

Now for the insight and tips on Bad Pokemon Leagues..But first some
insight.

Wizards created League not only as a place to have fun..but as a way to
keep
fresh blood comeing in and a way to get promo cards out..I remember some

months back where League and Wizards were getting blastsed big time for
haveing
bad Gym Leaders and the like..It's not all Wizard's fault..It's up to
each Gym
Leader to learn about the game and be helpfull..From what i've seen,the
League
kit didn't say that the Gym Leader has to be trained..or know anything
about Pokemon.
While this is Wizard's fault..it's not all of their fault..Remember..A
Gym Leader is a adult
most of the time..and someone who works for the store..Pokemon is not
high on their mind.

As for those Gym Leaders who take the boxes of badges and promos and
sell them on E-bay?
Shame on you..League was never ment to make money for the Gym Leaders.

Now if you have a lame League..then here's some tips to make it
better..Now i'm not
saying that these will work..but it doesn't hurt to try.


DONT jump all over the Gym Leader or Leaders..The task of running a
Pokemon
League is sometimes forced on a store worker and the task of dealing
with 10-30
unruley,whineing kids/trainers  is sometimes too much to handle for
$5.15 hr.

DON'T get all nasty at the store..I don't know what type of contract
Wizards has
worked out with these stores but if League becomes too much of a
pain..then they
will drop it and drop it fast.

DON'T try and force your way into becomeing a Gym Leader..If you didn't
read
my little notes above then shame on you..Running League the right way
will take
time..work and maybe money..If your not willing to give time and work
for it then
your not a help at all.

DON'T become Gym Leader for the perks. It's wrong for you to take the
tile
of Gym Leader and then use it to your own means,steal the promos and the

like=P.

DO become a Gym Leader if your willing to put in time,effort and maybe
some
money..If League lives then Pokemon will only be the better for it..If
League
dies then Pokemon is hurt by it.

DO become a Gym Leader if you want to make things better..Remember that
some stores don't want outsiders just comeing in..Get to know the
store..Help
the Gym Leader..Then maybe you will wear the yellow shirt.

DO listen to the Trainers and the Moms and Dads once you become a Gym
Leader
If you don't then why did your join?..Somethings even you won't be able
to fix..But
some you can..Keep your League fun,yet in line and following the rule
book..

DO keep a eye out for unfair trades and Pokethiefs..If your Trainers
don't feel
safe or happy.then they will leave..Try to set up a tradering area and
watch over trades.
This also is a time to catch Pokethiefs because when you trade is when
others learn what
you have.

DO have fun..If it becomes too much like unpaid work then you won't do a
good job
because you won't care.

Thanks for reading..I'll be back in a few weeks with something new

And thank you Pojo and Scott for posting this.

FoxStar

foxstar@bellsouth.net