Theme Week - My experience with Team Management and being a General Manager

[badcolethetitan 938]

Theme Week - My experience with Team Management and being a General Manager

 

 

Team Management

 

Alright, buckle up lads, we're in for a long one. So, I would say this all started with the fact that I ended up getting a job in the JST as a GM. The first time I ever ran was the Brigade, and it was the most active locker room I've had to this day. I knew that the whole point of the JST was basically helping new players and getting a taste of what M GMing what like at the end of the day. I remember having @Spartan  as my AGM and it was by far the most active locker room I've ever been in to this date. We would have at minimum 50+ messages a day, and everyone was having a great time. My draft plan heading into the JST was to get a bunch of active first gens and recreates, and just let them vibe together and see what would happen. I didn't care about winning or builds or TPE at all, just wanted to have fun and for everyone there to enjoy the experience. Fast forward, to my first season as a M GM, getting the Mexico City Kings job. To be honest, I was already planning for the draft before I even got the job, because I wanted to be the most prepared just incase that I did end up getting the job. The S84 Draft was interesting, because it was a very shallow draft, and a lot of teams weren't able to fill out their lines from the draft, but because of @youloser1337's dying wishes with Mexico City, I was able to get a bunch of picks and be one of the best teams coming out of the draft. When I was looking at the draft, I tried to emulate the same thing as the JST, where I would get active players and would just use that to help build an active locker room in Mexico City, as the locker room when I arrived was basically dead. I do want to mention that when I got the team, there was actually only one player that was returning and that was @Jason kranz. I remember asking him if he wanted to stay and be apart of the Kings next season, to which my surprise he was all in and wanted us to succeed. He has gone a long way from just being a clicker, to now earning much more and also being the AGM of the Ottawa Lynx in the M. I'm so proud of Jason and I hope he continues to make strides to become a M GM one day! Going back on track though, last season was an absolute blast. We had a very active locker room, a great team, and we went all the way to the semi-finals. I guess moving onto this season, I had the same draft plan basically come in, selecting active first gens and recreates and using them to have a very active locker room that could potentially attract other players in the future, or the very least to help build a name for Mexico City. This season has been an absolute disaster. We should have been one of the better teams in the league, however we're currently in 9th place, struggling to make the playoffs. Sometimes, STHS does STHS things and there's really nothing you can do about it. This is where the Team Management comes into play. I ended getting offers on multiple players of mine, to which I added them to a chat and asked them if they wanted to leave the Kings and try to win somewhere else. To my surprise, every single one of the players that I ended up contacted basically said they wanted to stay with the Kings and regardless if we win or lose, they weren't going to leave. Hell, some of them even made media spots and addressed it publicly. I've never had players willingly want to stay on a team that's struggling, but despite that the locker room is very active and we all have a great time talking to each other every single day. The second my players basically said "Ride or Die" with the Kings, I knew I had made something special in Mexico City. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season and hopefully, we can slip into the playoffs and make some noise!

 

Being a General Manager

 

So, I basically just ranted a bunch about Team Management and sort of what GMing is like, but I'd like to take this part to talk about some GMs in the M that do a fantastic job. First off, everybody knows that @Shindigs is the premiere M GM. This man is an absolute maniac, in a good way, he has created a dynasty in the M, while also focusing on helping players and making a great environment. He is the poster boy for the M and I think a lot of the league strives to be like him. The Las Vegas Aces without a doubt are one of the best places to play in the M as a first gen, as the amount of help you will receive from Shindigs is tremendous. On top of that, even if you aren't on his team, he'll still be willing to help you out with anything you need. The amount of hours and dedication he has put into the M is absolutely crazy, and he will for sure be missed next season. For some people that might not know, Shindigs is stepping down next season and the M will miss him for sure, I'll miss him too. It looks like he'll be making his last run with the Aces this season, and honestly, kind of rooting for the Aces to win it all again. Next up, I'm going to have to nod my hat to @jacobcarson877, the San Diego Marlins GM. He was basically tossed in the same season as I was, with myself getting the Kings and Jacob getting the Marlins. Jacob has done an amazing job with SDM, being able to find ways to be competitive while having little to no picks every season so far. He also has done a fantastic job with helping waiver players, as most of them end up going to San Diego (curse you Jacob!) and a lot of them do stick around. I don't know what magic wand Jacob has to get the waivers, but if he's able to keep them around long term, I guess I can't complain. He is a great teacher and also a great GM in general. San Diego is going to be very scary next season and it's all deserved without a doubt, and I hope Jacob will be around for a long time in the M. I will say though, this group of M GMs has done a fantastic job at putting players first, and helping every single player, first gen or recreate, achieve what they want out of the M. I do enjoy talking to a bunch of the GMs and I think this group has a ton of potential to be one of the best we've had in the M without a doubt. Will we get there, maybe, but I believe we can.

 

So we get to the end, I've basically said everything that I have wanted to say for this media spot. Without the players, GMs, AGMs, and Commissioners, the M wouldn't be how it is today. Every single one of you is valuable to this league and it's always sad to see people go. I have had an amazing experience GMing and I hope to continue it for a very long time.

 

Words: 1277

Edited September 26, 2022 by badcolethetitan

[Guest]

really great job. only forgot one thing and that is that i'm the goat haha