Pokemon’s popularity has drastically decreased. No point in denying it. But does that mean that it is no longer fun? Of course not! There is the professor program, however flawed it may be, lots of tournaments, battlezone and super battlezone. But the heart of the game is the local league. Down at the comic shop or bookstore, players battle it out weekly in battlezone and other tournaments, or just for fun to collect points. Trading for cards has always been a big plus, as it strengthens you’re collection and builds friendships. Hanging out with "The Gang" and trading blows has always been what the game is about, if you ask me. Numerous friends have come and gone, but all from the league.

With pokemon not the rage anymore and Yu-gi-oh!’s popularity high, our league has come under attack. Many stores no longer wish to hold leagues. These are hard times, but what are we to do about it? Have fun of course! Here are a few things you can try to keep you’re league from dying.

Make the tournaments interesting. Do weird formats that get people to think hard on a deck. Base them around holidays. This past Thanksgiving, my league held a turky tourny, with nothing but flying type pokemon allowed. I’ll tell you, it warmed my old-school heart to see so many Farfetched running around =D. Coming up we have a Gym Leader tourny; half the player’s deck has to have gym leaders in their names. Have fun with this stuff.

Don’t do tournaments all the time. Some days it is good just to have a free day where people can come and go at their leasure, stop by and play a few games, do some trading, earn some points, you know, relax.

Enforce the rules. Nobody likes to play cheaters. If you’re in a tournament, get a cheater disqualified. You play fair too. Play offically.

Use proven rules. After some experimentation, are whole league agrees that the old swiss pairing system is the best, as it allows tournaments to be run smoothly and efficiently.

Stay updated. Look on wizards to keep up with the UTR and the DCI rules. Follow them. That way you’ll all know how to play when it comes time for Super Battlezone.

Follow the Golden Rule. I know it sounds corny, but do it. If everyone is friendly it can only make the leauge more enjoyable to the players and more attractive to non-players.

I hope you all try some of these things. They really do work. It is up to us hard-core players to keep the game going strong. And the leagues are the place to start.

My league has a website. For more information and ideas, visit it at: http://wylie1.com/heropoke/