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FELLOW GAMERS/COLLECTORS -
YOU ARE VERY WELCOME HERE =)

As of 2009, I'm a husband (married 16 yrs), a father of 3 (ages 9, 12, and 14), and a USAF veteran (an officer for 12 yrs). I have over 12 years experience (in 8 states) trading and playing with Collectible/Trading Card Game (CCG/TCG) cards: Competing in and leading Gym Leagues, playing in (and winning) sanctioned/non-sanctioned tournaments, and trading/buying/playing online & at local retailers (small and large). I earned a Bachelor degree from Georgia Tech in Aerospace Engineering and an Associate degree from ECPI in Computer & Information Science with a focus on Networking and Security Management.

"I enjoy playing, trading, and patiently explaining the games to parents and children alike." When I've served as a Gym Leader, I presided over all weekly activities and approved all trades, personally ensuring everyone had an equal chance at having a good time. "My goals are for parents to discover a positive, learning experience for their children (that's safe, convenient, and affordable) AND for the children to find an encouraging activity in which they can have fun with local friends."

I've noticed greater skills in the following areas among TCG/CCG participants: math reading strategy patience sportsmanship turn-taking delayed gratification

Other positive TCG/CCG LEAGUE influences include the following: high moral values friendship respect orderliness camaraderie membership pride/self-esteem honesty and more

I know this good-natured "spirit of the game" (with which my family & I first fell in love) continues today, because I read the following on one of the latest Nintendo/Pokemon websites:

Spirit of the Game

As a game of skill, the Pokémon TCG is enjoyed for its complex strategies, entertaining characters, and atmosphere of friendly competition. While the objective of a Pokémon TCG tournament is to determine the skill level of each player involved, our ultimate goal is to ensure that every participant has fun. It is this attitude that Pokémon Organized Play wishes to emphasize during Pokémon TCG events.

Regardless of the size of the prizes on the line, adherence to the Spirit of the Game helps to ensure that all participants, including players, spectators, and event staff at a Pokémon TCG event, have an enjoyable experience. This spirit should guide the conduct of players as well as the tournament judges as they interpret and enforce the rules.

The Spirit of the Game is composed of the following tenets:

• Fun: The Pokémon TCG is a game, and games are meant to be fun for all parties involved. When a game ceases to be fun, players find other things to do.
• Fairness: Games cease to be fun when players break the rules to achieve victory. A player should prefer to lose a game than to win by cheating.
• Honesty: Players of any game should strive to act honestly while playing that game. If a player inadvertently breaks a rule during a game and becomes aware of the error before his or her opponent or a judge, that player should make the opponent and the judge aware of the misplay.
• Respect: Players, spectators, and staff should be treated with the same respect that players would expect for themselves. Distracting an opponent or a judge to gain advantage shows disrespect to everyone involved in a Pokémon TCG event.
• Sportsmanship: Winning or losing with grace is vital to the enjoyment of a game. The desire to continue playing a game can be soured by players that berate their opponents after winning or losing a match.
• Learning: Players should strive to help each other increase their Pokémon TCG play skills. It is not a player's responsibility to make his or her opponent's plays for that opponent. However, discussing strategies, offering deck tips, or constructively critiquing game play decisions after the match has been completed helps both participants to become better players.

Some closing "GYM LEADER" advice for players & collectors:

1. Don't bring your BEST CARDS, unless you plan to keep them in your sight/possession EVERY MINUTE
2. Don't bring TOO MUCH (the more attention you have to pay to your stuff, the less you have for playing, etc.)
3. Either play OR trade, but doing both at the same time isn't fair to anyone (including yourself)
4. Only make ONE trade at a time (giving your attention to a second trade takes it away from the first)
5. Confirm ALL trades (and/or rules questions) with the Gym Leader

TRADING/COLLECTIBLE CARD GAMES: MYTHS, FEARS, & QUESTIONS

• Can my child lose cards (to his/her opponents) playing TCGs/CCGs?
  • Cards NEVER change owners before, during, or after the game (only in agreed-upon, approved trades)
  • There is a literal line in Pokémon that neither player's cards ever cross
• Will TCGs/CCGs challenge our family's religious/moral beliefs?
  • Does chess? Or Monopoly? How about Uno?
  • Pokémon is more wholesome than most other contemporary themes (especially cartoons and video games)
  • When you really look at it, you may find this game to be very family-friendly
  • Pokémon is non-violent: uses terms like "damage", "faint", "knock out", "prize" (NOT "kill" or "dead")
  • Some of the lessons taught by Pokémon:
    • Caring is more important than winning
    • The quality of your friendship is more important than the number of friends you have
    • Hold on to your dreams - it's never too late for them to come true
    • Stealing from one person is like stealing from everyone
    • What a person looks like isn't important; it's what a person does that is important
    • Learn from your mistakes, don't stress about them
• Are TCGs/CCGs too expensive for my budget?
  • Admission to most leagues is FREE
  • Don't need to "Catch 'em All" (i.e., to collect ALL the cards) in order to play
  • Many of the best (playing) cards are not rare OR holographic (aka, super-rare, "shiny", or "holo")
  • Theme decks - PREconstructed playing decks for under $10 (EVERYTHING needed to play!)
  • Give a "Deck builder" for a holiday/birthday gift - 500 cards for $40
  • Wait for booster packs to go on sale ($.99, $1.99, $2.49, $2.99), and use them for incentives/rewards
  • "Charizard" phenomenon:
    • Just because 1 card used to be valued at $300+ doesn't mean any others come close
    • Now, Charizard goes for under $15 (avg card prices are $4/holo, $2/rare, most are under 50 cents)
• I don't want my child to participate in role-playing games (RPGs).
  • The TCGs/CCGs are NOT role-playing games (these are NOT D&D)
  • They are JUST card games (albeit more like chess) - they're not a performance, reenactment, or role-playing
  • TCGs/CCGs are no more an RPG than chess, Monopoly, or Battleship
    • A chess player needn't pretend to BE a horse to use his/her knight
    • Just because one chooses the canine token in Monopoly doesn't mean s/he must ACT like a dog
    • A "Battleship WIN" indicates the victor excelled in either skill and/or luck (not that s/he is a "war-monger")
• I don't want my child to be treated unfairly while trading/playing.
  • There are very simple trading/playing rules and guidelines (a rarity symbol on the card itself, for example)
  • The Gym Leader approves all trades and is always available for rules questions
  • A price guide (with current values for all the cards) and an exhaustive rules compendium are readily available
• My child is too young/old to play the card game.
  • Probably as many players/traders UNDER 10 as there are players/traders OVER 10
  • Some advanced 4-year olds can beat their parents in the game - I should KNOW!
  • Experienced players/collectors can play/trade with older players/traders
  • Trading: For fun, for favorite characters, to complete a set, add rare cards to a collection
  • Bring a Gameboy for a different dimension of trading and playing
• My child doesn't know how to play.
  • Certified coaches are also available to teach (who earn points for teaching)
  • Check out some instructional CDs, informational/instructional books, or the exhaustive rules compendium
  • Visit websites for information for kids/parents or even a trading card game demo

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