6) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
The rookie experience is something that is very near and dear to my heart (obviously, as rookie mentor head). We are constantly listening to feedback and looking for ways to improve the experience for rookies. There is a lot of information when rookies start, there are too many things to do, there is too much pressure to join and be active in every single locker room. All of which, I don’t disagree.
Rookies feel overwhelmed as they join prospect chat after prospect chat. They feel the pressure during scouting season to be as active as possible in all of the prospect chats, fearing otherwise that they won’t be drafted well, and I think it’s important for GMs and others to remember that. Like joining a new job, joining all of the locker rooms can become stressful. The amount of “who is that again, are they the GM are they a current member an alum? What’s the culture like, do I sit and watch, just dive in? I don’t want to mess things up?” The pressure can be a bit overwhelming.
Some new users love this environment and this time of year because they can be in so many chats at once. Some people would prefer to never join a locker room until the draft and let that be that. What this comes down to is that rookie chat needs to be the “Class of SXX Locker Room” in a sense. Which means we need to do a few things:
Look at what players love out of their locker rooms. Aside from the socialization, what is it that players absolutely adore from their locker rooms? What is it that they find themselves wanting to be a part of and participate with over and over again. I know for a fact some prospects just loved being in Norfolk to engage with our bots. Everyone loves seeing pet pictures, and if that means that rookies are able to post and share pet pictures during the entirety of their time in the DSFL, all the merrier (and really, who wouldn’t want to see cute pet pictures). Giving dedicated channels to these fun features, these pieces that everyone loves most out of their locker room means that Rookies can engage with each other and bond as a class.
GMs get to see players interact in a different way when they view them from within the DSFL discord. You’re looking at players interacting with someone who may not have interviewed well. Not everyone invites every prospect to their locker rooms for further scouting. Some people just don’t want to share a lot, some people might have DMs turned off (this was me!!) and so the only opportunity you have to connect with them is via public chats. It’s important to make sure that we understand that at the DSFL level everything is new and a little bit overwhelming. By creating one home where rookies begin to feel comfortable, it begins to serve the needs of the entire community better.
Additionally, by allowing classes to bond within the DSFL discord, over bonding within unique locker rooms, you start to build more friendships that are across teams. It means that rivalries that teams may have don’t go “too far” and come from a place of messing with friends over a place of true toxicity. By creating the bond within a class you have users who are excited about any ISFL team they might go to because they know several people with them (and they aren’t the only Seawolf to get drafted to a team). Furthermore, by making the Rookie Discord the place to hang out, players who join after scouting (during the pre-draft, basically) aren’t left alone in this quiet chat where nobody is talking because everyone is already in a prospect chat, and a locker room. Players are engaged with each other while sharing the nerves of what might happen during the draft.
Another frustration that many rookies have is surrounding contracts. While some teams and GMs try to have a “Hey you’re gonna get drafted and you’ll have to negotiate a contract here are my tips and advice” talk early with their team, others don’t (or might not think about it if they are newer DSFL GMs). Contract talk feels so forbidden because of the rules, but this is something that everyone should be open and honest about with the newest class of rookies until the pre-draft starts. Rookies 100% should know that if they’re looking for extra money to be honest (but also realistic about budgets). If they want options, or to get called up, all of this is information that some players have never thought to have. Taking minimums sounds great for the team, but if you’re a player who struggles to earn money in the league, then you might feel pressured to put the team over your players performance.
At the end of the day this is a for fun league. We need to continually evaluate what we are doing for those new players to make sure that they are feeling welcomed, engaged, and understanding what the expectations are and what options they have available for them when they join. By enabling rookie chat to expand and offer more to the rookies in one location, one place, it helps make sure that they can feel they have a home, even during scouting season and the offseason when they are still waiting for that permanent residence.
The rookie experience is something that is very near and dear to my heart (obviously, as rookie mentor head). We are constantly listening to feedback and looking for ways to improve the experience for rookies. There is a lot of information when rookies start, there are too many things to do, there is too much pressure to join and be active in every single locker room. All of which, I don’t disagree.
Rookies feel overwhelmed as they join prospect chat after prospect chat. They feel the pressure during scouting season to be as active as possible in all of the prospect chats, fearing otherwise that they won’t be drafted well, and I think it’s important for GMs and others to remember that. Like joining a new job, joining all of the locker rooms can become stressful. The amount of “who is that again, are they the GM are they a current member an alum? What’s the culture like, do I sit and watch, just dive in? I don’t want to mess things up?” The pressure can be a bit overwhelming.
Some new users love this environment and this time of year because they can be in so many chats at once. Some people would prefer to never join a locker room until the draft and let that be that. What this comes down to is that rookie chat needs to be the “Class of SXX Locker Room” in a sense. Which means we need to do a few things:
Look at what players love out of their locker rooms. Aside from the socialization, what is it that players absolutely adore from their locker rooms? What is it that they find themselves wanting to be a part of and participate with over and over again. I know for a fact some prospects just loved being in Norfolk to engage with our bots. Everyone loves seeing pet pictures, and if that means that rookies are able to post and share pet pictures during the entirety of their time in the DSFL, all the merrier (and really, who wouldn’t want to see cute pet pictures). Giving dedicated channels to these fun features, these pieces that everyone loves most out of their locker room means that Rookies can engage with each other and bond as a class.
GMs get to see players interact in a different way when they view them from within the DSFL discord. You’re looking at players interacting with someone who may not have interviewed well. Not everyone invites every prospect to their locker rooms for further scouting. Some people just don’t want to share a lot, some people might have DMs turned off (this was me!!) and so the only opportunity you have to connect with them is via public chats. It’s important to make sure that we understand that at the DSFL level everything is new and a little bit overwhelming. By creating one home where rookies begin to feel comfortable, it begins to serve the needs of the entire community better.
Additionally, by allowing classes to bond within the DSFL discord, over bonding within unique locker rooms, you start to build more friendships that are across teams. It means that rivalries that teams may have don’t go “too far” and come from a place of messing with friends over a place of true toxicity. By creating the bond within a class you have users who are excited about any ISFL team they might go to because they know several people with them (and they aren’t the only Seawolf to get drafted to a team). Furthermore, by making the Rookie Discord the place to hang out, players who join after scouting (during the pre-draft, basically) aren’t left alone in this quiet chat where nobody is talking because everyone is already in a prospect chat, and a locker room. Players are engaged with each other while sharing the nerves of what might happen during the draft.
Another frustration that many rookies have is surrounding contracts. While some teams and GMs try to have a “Hey you’re gonna get drafted and you’ll have to negotiate a contract here are my tips and advice” talk early with their team, others don’t (or might not think about it if they are newer DSFL GMs). Contract talk feels so forbidden because of the rules, but this is something that everyone should be open and honest about with the newest class of rookies until the pre-draft starts. Rookies 100% should know that if they’re looking for extra money to be honest (but also realistic about budgets). If they want options, or to get called up, all of this is information that some players have never thought to have. Taking minimums sounds great for the team, but if you’re a player who struggles to earn money in the league, then you might feel pressured to put the team over your players performance.
At the end of the day this is a for fun league. We need to continually evaluate what we are doing for those new players to make sure that they are feeling welcomed, engaged, and understanding what the expectations are and what options they have available for them when they join. By enabling rookie chat to expand and offer more to the rookies in one location, one place, it helps make sure that they can feel they have a home, even during scouting season and the offseason when they are still waiting for that permanent residence.
![[Image: Untitled_drawing4.png?ex=65189885&is=651...a7e4ddfd2&]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/906612704905666593/1157434655218352178/Untitled_drawing4.png?ex=65189885&is=65174705&hm=723bcd75bd49d3fa16b31bd7ebf7e536fca998ba339a37ec7590f00a7e4ddfd2&)
![[Image: 62699_s.gif]](https://signavatar.com/62699_s.gif)
