Getting Old In the VHL

[Gustav 6,469]

It wasn't until very recently that this happened, maybe in the past year or so, but I've finally come to terms with being an older VHL member. I've written a ton about how my activity in the league has shifted a bit from when I was 19 and stupid (how many times have you read "I'm not on Discord as much anymore"?) but I also continued to keep a certain regard for those who had been here for, well, still many times longer than I have. They were just the ones that knew better, and I was just Gustav. Even marginally newer people used to tell me all about how they joined in S48 or whenever, and I'd have a bit of a "wow, so long ago!" moment. But I've been here 25 seasons at this point, since S65, and that probably blows some of your minds. It's weird.

 

I think it became clear to me that I was old here when things started mashing together in my head. I used to know just about every single active member--not only by name, but by profile picture, player, and having talked to them directly. I also used to know every single part of the rulebook and thought it was really weird that some older members didn't really seem to. And I'm not sure when this changed. I still click on Discord every day and open it up to see what's going on, but I don't really feel the need to contribute that I used to, and sometimes whoever is contributing isn't someone I know. I also know of all the good players, but I couldn't tell you who manages half of them. Plus, I see some of your names on the forum (and I'd shout you out if that probably wasn't disrespectful) and I really just...know you exist, and that's it. And on the very rare occasion when I talk about the VHL rulebook, sometimes things are brought up to me that I forgot ever happened to the rulebook, because my idea of the rules is the rules as they were when I was hell-bent on memorizing them.

 

And then a lot of my cool articles became articles about league history (aside from the one about deleting the E that no one bothered to actually read), because my first days now qualify as league history. Need I say more?

 

It's also weird because I'm 23. I'm not outside of any of the league's target demographics. I haven't aged out of anything; I just happen to have gotten to the places I wanted to get and made the connections I wanted to make here already. I'd love to get to know some newer members! I just don't think I need to get super involved to be trusted anymore. Besides, real life is a beautiful mess--I'm balancing lab work with classes and TA stuff and being somewhat popular for the first time in my life.

 

But at the end, I want to make it clear that there's a big difference between getting old--and everything that comes with it--and no longer caring. I still want what's best for the VHL. I still look at the forum every day, and multiple times at that. I'm still available to any GM who wants to talk and sometimes I don't even hate the slightly worse VHLM Commissioner all that much. It's just that I'd rather be making tacos than sitting on Discord and sometimes that also means I decide to claim welfare. I really like tacos.

 

And the really cool thing? Even though I can't directly tell, I know some of you guys look at me the same way I used to look at our other old guys. Sim league ethos is an interesting thing. 

[Berocka 2,263]

Gone are the mega article days and you've moved onto stream of consciousness to get tpe

[Banackock 8,143]

 

Ditto.

[rory 1,945]

tl;dr?

[Triller 1,688]

It is interesting the way "old" is referenced here in the VHL.  I will say that the authority and knowledge with which yourself and Spartan talk about the VHL always makes me picture you both in your mid 30's.  I think it reflects a level of maturity when someone can gain a fair bit of knowledge about something and then be able to maintain, adapt and teach it to others, so I always compare you to myself and the industry I work in.  I am knowledgeable enough in my field that after 13 years of doing it I speak very confidently about it to others who also have a ton of experience doing the same thing.  I am 37 years old and whenever I come across someone speaking with the same confidence I always assume older but it is only because it took me this long to be as confident in what I know!  You are definitely old in the VHL but now you can be proud knowing that I think you are even older in real life!

This was all a compliment by the way.  Real long-winded way to it!

 

[Spartan 4,531]

39 minutes ago, Triller said:

Spartan talk about the VHL always makes me picture you both in your mid 30's

[Josh 1,672]

@Gustav  I feel ya... joined when I was 25 and am turning 31 in a couple of months.. on top of making a whole human being in the process. 

[Steve 1,951]

17 hours ago, Gustav said:

It's also weird because I'm 23.

I think my son has socks older than you. Good story though.

[BOOM 8,818]

Wow, what an old fart! 

Edited September 28, 2023 by BOOM

[BOOM 8,818]

[Beketov 9,103]

On 9/28/2023 at 1:56 AM, Gustav said:

I also know of all the good players, but I couldn't tell you who manages half of them. Plus, I see some of your names on the forum (and I'd shout you out if that probably wasn't disrespectful) and I really just...know you exist, and that's it.

You’ve finally hit the point where you truly understand the crux of my initial blow up with @Tate haha. I don’t remotely know who has control of every single player, my brain just can’t keep up with it all.

 

Welcome to the OBC that actually exists. There’s no perks at all, just the mindset.

[Grape 739]

Wait a second. If you're old, then, I'm old too

[Tetricide 696]

It's OK, idk who you are either but that's just because the M commish are IA

 

Jokes aside, it's definitely something I think about sometimes with a community I've been a part of for 10 years now (we started in TeamSpeak). It used to be like 10 of us and now there's ~10x that...and there are a lot of times I see a name in either text or voice chat that I'm like who tf is that? And it's not that I don't want to know who they are that I don't know them...the community has just expanded a lot and I'm not as active as I once was. Especially now that I have more of my attention in the VHL. I'll probably be where you are now here in a couple years, except approaching my 40s and making PF/WF players.

[Subject056 1,246]

Too good of an article to not share. Added this to the VHL IG as the latest Story. Also saved to our VHL Media Spot Highlights section on IG

 

https://instagram.com/stories/victoryhockeyleague/3203020829939666957?igshid=NmQ4MjZlMjE5YQ==

 

 

[Victor 11,022]

19 to 23 that's cute

[Banackock 8,143]

1 hour ago, Victor said:

19 to 23 that's cute

ye. I joined the SHL in S4. 2011!  16/17 -> 29. Think I started my first NHL GM league around 14.

 

VHL was 2014 apparently... 19 -> 29. Before that? idk if there was. idk if a forum change affected anything or when that even was anymore tbh.