by Jade Packer
Although I drift in and out of HOL I have been around for the last 9ish years (quite a few of those I was admittedly inactive for though). I have seen friends come and go, played more pickup games than I care to admit, dodged more official games than probably any other official house player and had a great time doing it all.
I have never however played in SQL, this is not because I've never wanted to it was just never the right time. I have however seen my fair share of SQL's and have always liked the idea.
This year was going to change all that. I was planning not only to play but also to put together a bunch of people who started when I was a newbie and form a team. Most of these players haven't seen a quidditch trivia set since book 5 was brand spanking new. We would not be a competitive team but it would have been a great excuse to get us all together again.
Then came the announcement of 2012 SQL’s rules and regulations and all plans changed. Once again I will be sitting out SQL but this time it is not from lack of time or wanting to do so, it is because I will not subject myself to a draft.
I have never however played in SQL, this is not because I've never wanted to it was just never the right time. I have however seen my fair share of SQL's and have always liked the idea.
This year was going to change all that. I was planning not only to play but also to put together a bunch of people who started when I was a newbie and form a team. Most of these players haven't seen a quidditch trivia set since book 5 was brand spanking new. We would not be a competitive team but it would have been a great excuse to get us all together again.
Then came the announcement of 2012 SQL’s rules and regulations and all plans changed. Once again I will be sitting out SQL but this time it is not from lack of time or wanting to do so, it is because I will not subject myself to a draft.
In past years SQL has always been the fun Quidditch option. During the year if you want to play Quidditch you don't always get the opportunity to play with the people you want. That's not to say you don't love your team and everyone you play with but there isn't a lot of freedom there. The official Quidditch season is long and full of hard work. The standard of players is higher than it's ever been and competition is fierce.
That is what makes SQL so great. For a short time you can forget about competition and just play for love of the game. You can put together a team of friends you normally don't get to play with and just muck around. It's as much a way of catching up with friends and socializing as it is for playing Quidditch, in fact really the Quidditch matches are quite often inconsequential.
It is a shame that this year seems geared more for competition than for fun. Personally I don't find competitive Quidditch fun. I may be in the minority but I’m sure I’m not entirely alone. I realize there are people who do, but I don't see why we all need to be punished for their competitiveness, and yes I do see the draft as punishment. I'm not the most social person. In fact I bet 95% of HOL don't know me despite the fact that I'm fast approaching the end of my 9th year here and that is fine with me.
I will not sign up for SQL if I can't know for certain that I will be playing with people I know and love and I will not encourage others to come back to face that same uncertainty.
Now I realize the reason for the draft was to make teams fairer but to be honest, that really only matters if you're in it to be competitive which I don't think is what SQL is about. We have the whole rest of the year to be competitive, summer is a time to relax, chill out and have fun.
I realize nothing is going to change this year’s system and that is fine but I make this plea for next summer. In the interest of compromise, if next year you still feel a draft is necessary for fairer teams then please split SQL up into competitive AND noncompetitive and keep drafting and all the other rules to competitive only and let the rest of us bask in the enjoyment of playing social quiddy with the people we want.
I would like to see SQL go back to its former glory as a place for older HOLers who have since drifted away to come back and just catch up for a few months before heading back to real life once again. Where you don’t have to think about the levels of players and what house they are in and even how long they have been around HOL, where you can choose your teammates and not have people forced upon you or ripped away from you.
Basically I want it to go back to a time when SQL was being put together with an eye more on socializing and less on competition.
Just say no – 2012.
That is what makes SQL so great. For a short time you can forget about competition and just play for love of the game. You can put together a team of friends you normally don't get to play with and just muck around. It's as much a way of catching up with friends and socializing as it is for playing Quidditch, in fact really the Quidditch matches are quite often inconsequential.
It is a shame that this year seems geared more for competition than for fun. Personally I don't find competitive Quidditch fun. I may be in the minority but I’m sure I’m not entirely alone. I realize there are people who do, but I don't see why we all need to be punished for their competitiveness, and yes I do see the draft as punishment. I'm not the most social person. In fact I bet 95% of HOL don't know me despite the fact that I'm fast approaching the end of my 9th year here and that is fine with me.
I will not sign up for SQL if I can't know for certain that I will be playing with people I know and love and I will not encourage others to come back to face that same uncertainty.
Now I realize the reason for the draft was to make teams fairer but to be honest, that really only matters if you're in it to be competitive which I don't think is what SQL is about. We have the whole rest of the year to be competitive, summer is a time to relax, chill out and have fun.
I realize nothing is going to change this year’s system and that is fine but I make this plea for next summer. In the interest of compromise, if next year you still feel a draft is necessary for fairer teams then please split SQL up into competitive AND noncompetitive and keep drafting and all the other rules to competitive only and let the rest of us bask in the enjoyment of playing social quiddy with the people we want.
I would like to see SQL go back to its former glory as a place for older HOLers who have since drifted away to come back and just catch up for a few months before heading back to real life once again. Where you don’t have to think about the levels of players and what house they are in and even how long they have been around HOL, where you can choose your teammates and not have people forced upon you or ripped away from you.
Basically I want it to go back to a time when SQL was being put together with an eye more on socializing and less on competition.
Just say no – 2012.