Vol. IV, Issue #7 -
November 2016
**
An Article by NASOMA Commissioner, Glenn Wheeler **
(NASOMA commissioner Glenn
Wheeler returns to our newsletter to share with
us a few thoughts about why he has been with Strat Baseball for
so many years!)
(Notes from the Wolfman:
NASOMA, as Glenn's member call
their league, which we covered twice last year, is a combination
league that uses a combination of different ways to play their
games but also (even though their members are all over the U.S.)
does key league functions in person. I had a chance to speak to
Glenn by the phone and got to know him fairly well when we did
our interviews before. Glenn has always been very
supportive of this newsletter. Ok
Commissioner Wheeler take it away for our members........
)
Why Do We
Play the Game?
Glenn:
Let me start off by
saying that I’m now going on 45 years playing Strat-O-Matic
baseball. I started playing the game as a 10 year old looking
for something fun to do with other baseball friends. Nobody I
knew had ever heard of Strat-O-Matic so it was something we
could all learn together. Of course everything was played by
cards, dice and charts back then but I remember I thought it was
good that a game took only 30 minutes or so to play. Not too
much time given what I thought was my short attention span.
We’ve come a long way in that now you can simply EQA a game in a
second or two. Things have indeed changed.
(Above is a photo of NASOMA's commissioner Glenn
Wheeler)
Never did I
imagine that now in my fifties I’d still be playing this same
game. I’m not sure if it’s my age, the fact my wife and I are
empty nesters, or some recent health issues we’re experiencing,
but it has caused me to reflect on why I’m still playing this
game!
At various times
I think I focused my attention on winning the magical league
trophy. It was about how I could pull off a great trade to get
in position to win, or what numbers could I analyze that would
give me an edge over my opponent. I remain commissioner and
member of the North American Stat-O-Matic Association (NASOMA)
that I started in 1980. We play for no money and the trophy we
receive is passed around year to year to the league champion.
Although there was no monetary prize, I’m convinced my primary
reason for playing was the joy of putting a championship team
together.
In reflection,
I’ve realized that I was missing the big picture as to why I
continue to play the game. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy
building a team and seeing in game strategy payoff to get that
important team win. But that’s not the main reason I play the
game. It really is about for the same reason I purchased the
game as a 10 year old. It is about staying connected with your
friends with the hook being to come together to share in a
common interest. In NASOMA we’ve been fortunate to not have had
much turnover in managers. Our average manager has been in the
league 26 years! We’ve spent most of our lives together. As life
gets in the way with family, career, and other life commitments
the glue that has kept our relationships in tact was
Strat-O-Matic baseball. I’m thankful for that.
If you’re in a
situation where life’s other demands are causing you to think
about dropping out of a league you’re in, I’d ask you to pause.
If it is truly not enjoyable anymore then that is one thing,
however understand that the league you’re in is likely the glue
to relationships that could last a lifetime.
It’s taken me 45
years to get to understand this, but that is why I continue to
play the game.
