How has your life changed since the VHL began?

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Like some of the guys here, I'm 26. I wasn't around for the beginning of the VHL, in fact I came here only a few years ago. Believe me though, if I knew about this I would have been here day one.  

 

10 years ago, I was just finished Grade 10. For the rest of high school I was pretty damn lazy, skipping a lot of classes in Grade 11 and a little in Grade 12. I calmed down in Grade 12 because I needed to get my shit together and graduate. I was always a smart kid, starting high school in honours classes but by the end I just went back to the normal classes, mostly out of laziness and not wanting to kill all my time with homework. My dog passed around that time, and a close step brother as well. But, high school was great, and I graduated no problemo. Went to Mexico on a grad trip in Grade 12 as well. That was a blast.

 

After high school instead of going to college or uni I kind of just took a year off, partying and doing stuff. Then after that I got a job at a gas station, because I was told to get a job by my parents. That sucked, and I ended up quitting and going to a warehousing job like 4 months later. After that I moved out with some friends, and stayed with them....working and partying on weekends for around a year. Those friends had to move out, so I had to move back in with my mom, but after awhile I moved back out with my brother, and we've been living on our own working since. My warehousing job isn't the best job, but it pays well, and that's all I care about right now. I'm also going to be an elevator mechanic and begin my training pretty soon, so things will change a lot when that happens. I never knew what I wanted to do in post-sec, so after I do all my elevator stuff, I'm likely just going to withdraw my inherited school money that I won't be using for school.

 

Basically, since I joined the VHL a little over 3 years ago, I've been working a nightshift job, and going to the gym mostly regularly. Good pay, but with the nightshift I have downtime after work when nobody is awake, so VHL came in a lot then. That time varies a lot depending on my schedule. A lot of days I'll go out during the day, which is one of the small benefits of nightshift, having my whole day time free if I wake up in the afternoon.

 

My first "sim" league experience was back in high school when I used to sim seasons of EA NHL. I used to play NHL A LOT. Like, from around 2012-2014 I was going to the playtests at EA Sports before the games releaesed, because I was one of the best in North America. I played a lot of EASHL too. It baffles me now how much I used to play NHL every year. Another example would be, that I was always the go-to guy that everyone wanted to play against when friends were over, or online with people from school. I never even talked about it either, my friends would just tell people that I'm good at it. It got a little annoying, and even now people bet me money to play me, even though I play a lot less these days. Fucking NHL, man.

 

But yeah, after simming a ton in EA NHL games, simming seasons, seeing how players I drafted turn out through simming, and winning cups, etc. I turned to Eastside Hockey Manager, and played that a lot too. Then one day @Kendrick advertised this on the Canucks.com message boards, and I noticed it because I've always been on that forum for a long time. So, after checking the site out, then putting it off for a bit, I eventually made a player and learned the ropes. Then I joined SHL, then SBA, then GOMHL, and all the other ones that have come and shut down since then.

 

I feel like I'm writing a little too much, but fuck it, right? I'm probably missing a lot of key points too. All in all, I'm glad the VHL made its way into my life. There's some great people here, with a great community. I don't have my own wife and kids like others do here, but I do spend a lot of time with nieces and nephews, and will have a kid one day. I love kids.

[Gudnason 607]

15 hours ago, tfong said:

2007 - Graduated BA and attempted to gte into Law School

 

 

2015 - Married someone way smarter than me that makes twice my income and lets me play all the hockey I want.

 

 

2016 - Silver in Nationals Ball hockey.

 

 

 

2017- Below the other day i won my first solo match in PUBG

 

 

 

Knew you were a ball hockey player but didn't know you that good!

[scoop 3,254]

debt

[Phil 5,014]

I joined the league 8 and a half years ago.  @Knight had been trying to get me into it since Season 1. My first stint was in S11. I wrote exactly 1 fan590 and my username was Creamcheese. 

 

At that time, I was still in high school. I was a skinny goof who loved sports. I was on as many sports teams as I could be in (yea, DRAGON BOAT MOFOS) and thought a "virtual hockey league" was nerdy.  I had also just started what turned into a terrible relationship with a girl from high school.

 

When I recreated an account for realz in S17,  I was in a gap year, trying to figure out what program to apply for University (Kinesiology & Physical Health and Education is what I ended up doing). I was still with... let's call her "crazy ex 1". Not going into much detail, but we had moved out together in first year... she quit her job the next day and stopped paying rent. My credit cards ended up getting maxed as I worked 38 hours a week, had 40 hours of classes and 6 hours of labs. She also ran at me with a butcher's knife. I did manage to get rid of her and the apartment finally. 

 

I ended up in a position where I had massive credit card debt, no government funding (because I earned too much - lol) and no possible way to afford school. I had to take multiple years off at a time to pay off debts and simultaneously save up for university. I had much downtown in my job so I was able to escape to the VHL often and contribute as much as I wanted to. 

 

I finally graduated in 2015. Since then I've established myself in the hospitality industry, but am sick of getting jerked around by the company so I am in the final steps of getting a Full-Time job as a Rec and Leisure Coordinator for Health Systems Group (I would basically organize and run ball hockey and basketball leagues haha). 

 

I've also met the girl I am going to marry. I knew for sure just before the start of my fourth date. And like @tfong's better half, she's (at least) twice as smart as me. If I get the job, I'll be complete 100% debt free within 3 months and I can start saving for our future. We have just passed our 6-month milestone. 

 

The VHL community has supplied me with many laughs, and I've made so many connections with people here. I am truly grateful for everyone who's contributed in any way to this league. Okay.. photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me accepting MVP for Tennis in Grade 11 ( @boubabi I had flow too))

 

 

My Dragon Boat shirt, Grade 12 ( @TheLastOlympian07 - I was skinny once!)

 

 

 

 

 

Me and my girlfriend, about a month ago.

 

 

[jRuutu 2,303]

I joined VHL roughly 2,5 years ago after seeing someone mention the league in another league, that another league by the way was the first ever league I joined. VHL was the second roughly 5 months later.

 

In 2,5 years I have not done too much, when I joined VHL, I was unemployed chef who lived in small city in Finland. Now fast forward couple years and I´m studying English in university. That also meant moving to bigger city, so in that way I have changed, moved to new city with new daily/weekly schedule, but on a bigger scale, nothing has really changed, still going forward one day at a time and seeing where the ride takes me.

 

If I go back ten years to the day when VHL started, I was about 15 or 16 and in high school. Since I had even less of an idea what I will do when I grow up and because I´m an idiot, I did not pay too much of attention in high school, which resulted in me getting selected into ´wrong´ school, or well, I did not get where I wanted. (Bad grades) Tried to get into ´Metal´ side in vocational school, after 3 years there,  I would be a metal worker, welding etc in some business more than likely, but no, I did not get there ( 99% sure I would have quitted it as well even if I got in)

 

I got selected into ´Stone´ side, where I basically would have graduated as a builder that specializes in building stuff from stone, installing stone walking paths into gardens etc, basically anything stone related.

 

Since I cant build anything and can barely hold a hammer on my hands, I left the ´Stone´ side after year or so.  Soon later found myself in business school of some kind, but did not exactly feel like it was for me. Quitted that in 6 or so months. After that I decided to pick something useful, so went into culinary school for 3 years. Went through the school and now I´m a trained chef. After graduation, I spent next two or 3 years unemployed and in various courses that were designed to help me find a job and about a year or so in depth collecting agency as a trainee.

 

Couple months after the training period, I got into university and here I am, studying English and still looking for my place in this world.

 

What comes down to sim leagues, VHL has always been among my favorites because I can write media spots and go crazy with the topics. At first it was a struggle, I did not write 450-500 words of English to anywhere, so writing here helped a lot in me improving my writing and English skills in general. My English and the written side of it is not perfect still, but a lot better than 2,5 years ago.

 

I don´t know what happens in the future, but going to keep sim leagues and VHL in my life, too much fun still

 

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2017 by jRuutu

[eaglesfan036 4,583]

glad to read this thread, lots of good stories in here!

 

For me, I first started this league as a freshman in high school, and am now heading into my junior year of college. I remember at some point talking to @Victor about me possibly becoming a GM, and I was so engaged in the convo that I was a few minutes late to my cashier shift at the grocery store I worked at. This summer, I've been working an internship with typical 9-5 hours, and honestly it's served as a wakeup call. As much as I complained about school, college and even high school is much better than that I think (minus the money!) I'm kind of glad i got this wakeup call as I think it will help me appreciate my next few years of college more before I join the workforce.

 

I still game a good amount, but nowhere near what I used to. I used to be able to play COD all day long, but I get bored of any game after a few hours. Play NHL a lot now, me and @Fire Hakstol are in a club with some friends ranked around 200-300 ish, so pretty good. @DollarAndADream if you want to play again, let me know! I enjoyed our game last time. And yes, I can beat Jim in most games now as I play them more. I think if me now at 19 and 20 played the Jim of 19-20, we'd be pretty evenly matched. He beat up on me in NHL when I was young. 

 

I've really enjoyed being here for the past 5 years or whatever it's been. Hopefully the VHL eventually winds up being older than some of the users on here.

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

2 hours ago, eaglesfan036 said:

glad to read this thread, lots of good stories in here!

 

For me, I first started this league as a freshman in high school, and am now heading into my junior year of college. I remember at some point talking to @Victor about me possibly becoming a GM, and I was so engaged in the convo that I was a few minutes late to my cashier shift at the grocery store I worked at. This summer, I've been working an internship with typical 9-5 hours, and honestly it's served as a wakeup call. As much as I complained about school, college and even high school is much better than that I think (minus the money!) I'm kind of glad i got this wakeup call as I think it will help me appreciate my next few years of college more before I join the workforce.

 

I still game a good amount, but nowhere near what I used to. I used to be able to play COD all day long, but I get bored of any game after a few hours. Play NHL a lot now, me and @Fire Hakstol are in a club with some friends ranked around 200-300 ish, so pretty good. @DollarAndADream if you want to play again, let me know! I enjoyed our game last time. And yes, I can beat Jim in most games now as I play them more. I think if me now at 19 and 20 played the Jim of 19-20, we'd be pretty evenly matched. He beat up on me in NHL when I was young. 

 

I've really enjoyed being here for the past 5 years or whatever it's been. Hopefully the VHL eventually winds up being older than some of the users on here.

I'm currently on a team with 2 other people. How does leaving a club work now? Can I leave and join right back after? Like, if I was to join yours, I mean. I know in previous years they had a thing where if you left a club you couldn't re-join for a certain duration.

[Gudnason 607]

19 minutes ago, DollarAndADream said:

I'm currently on a team with 2 other people. How does leaving a club work now? Can I leave and join right back after? Like, if I was to join yours, I mean. I know in previous years they had a thing where if you left a club you couldn't re-join for a certain duration.

 

For a sec I thought you were talking about being on the Legion with Sokolov and Reinholdt lol

[eaglesfan036 4,583]

6 hours ago, DollarAndADream said:

I'm currently on a team with 2 other people. How does leaving a club work now? Can I leave and join right back after? Like, if I was to join yours, I mean. I know in previous years they had a thing where if you left a club you couldn't re-join for a certain duration.

We can just do online versus or drop ins