So you’ve decided to enter a fantasy hockey league. Congrats! You’re one of the many who’ve had an itch to try out fantasy hockey this year and, with the pandemic restrictions lifted, it’s the perfect opportunity to do so.
The question is: how do you leave?
You’ve been lured into entering a fantasy league with other fans of the sport, and as a result, you’re sharing a common goal: to win the Stanley Cup this season. You’ve clicked on a link in an email sent to you by a trusted source, or perhaps you were directed to the website through social media. There’s a common set of rules in place, including daily games and a weekly champion being crowned. Everything seems great so far, but you have a problem: you’ve entered into something you didn’t intend to enter into. And now you have to figure out how to leave as the champion without any fuss.
Here’s what you need to do:
Table of Contents
Determine The Cause Of Your Disillusionment
The first and most crucial step to taking back control of your fantasy life is determining the root cause of your discontent. The answer could be anything from the ease of entry to the lack of competitiveness. To begin with, you may not feel that you’re playing with the right mix of skilled players. While it’s great that you’re able to draft a team of future Hall of Famers, you may not feel that you’re competing with teams of that caliber. On the contrary, you may feel that the competition in your league is pretty pedestrian. Your team is made up of average Joes and Janes, which you may perceive as a disadvantage.
In addition, you may have signed up for the wrong type of league (i.e., public vs. private). Private leagues are generally more competitive and feature higher-caliber players, with the expectation that you’ll have a better chance at winning. However, if your sole purpose is to just have some fun and satisfy your urge to compete, you may find that the public leagues are more suitable. Still, it’s essential that you determine the causes of your disenchantment, so you can fix them. You can always switch leagues if you feel like the competition is too high or you’re not getting enough enjoyment out of the experience.
Consider All Your Options
Once you’ve found the root cause of your disenchantment, you can proceed to the next step: considering all your options. There are several ways in which you can leave your fantasy league. You can quit through the website, contact the competition directly, or even ask a trusted friend to take you off the list. Remember: you’re under no obligation to continue playing once you’ve discovered the problems. The only obligation you have is to ensure that you do what’s best for you. And, knowing what’s best for you may mean putting an end to your dissatisfaction. Remember: you’re an adult, and as a result, you can make your own decisions. If quitting through the website is the way you choose to go, then there are several options to choose from, including creating a new account or using an alias to do so. Doing so would allow you to keep all your stats, drafts, and other pertinent information. Plus, you can take your time leaving the site if you choose. Simply visit the site occasionally, as the administrators may have changed something since your last visit or created a new feature that you find useful.
Create A Plan
The final step is creating a plan. This is something that you should’ve done at the beginning, but creating a plan now will undoubtedly make your exit smoother. The plan you’ll create should include the following:
- How will you leave the league (i.e., via the website, social media, email, etc.)
- What will you do after you leave (i.e., delete your account, create a new one under an alias, etc.)
- What is your next step (i.e., contact the admin to complain, create a new account under an alias, etc.)
- How will you deal with any repercussions from your decision (i.e., from the admin team, other participants, etc.)
- What is your plan for the future (i.e., do you intend to play in the league again?)
- How will you let others know that you’ve left (i.e., blog post, tweet, etc.)
- What are your initial thoughts on the experience (i.e., positive, negative, or neutral)
Taking away all the fun of fantasy sports and replacing it with serious competition may not be what you intended to do when you signed up for this league. But now that you’re in it, you may feel differently. Still, it’s important that you choose your words carefully, as you may impact the other participants in the league. For example, if you state that you’re dissatisfied with the lack of competition in the league and request to be taken off the list, then that is something that the admin team will need to consider. In that case, you should expect a response from them within 24 hours. And if that response isn’t satisfactory, then you have other options. You can always create a new account under an alias and start over again. Or, you can contact the competition directly and request that your points be forfeited. Your plan is your own, but it’s also important that you’re being logical and considering all your options. And, as an addition, be sure to make copies of all important documents (i.e., ID, birth certificate, credit cards, etc.) in case you need to prove your identity later on.
Hopefully, you’ll have fun playing fantasy hockey and will gain something from the experience. But, if you’re encountering problems, then it’s essential that you take the time to fix them. As it is, you don’t want to leave the site in the middle of a game and potentially hurt your chances of winning. Plus, you may not want to do anything that could cause you to lose stats or points in the process. Simply put, the last thing you want to do is leave the site with any problems. Therefore, it’s best to find a way to leave the site as unscathed as possible. That means getting all your information and creating a plan of action before you do anything else. If you can, leave through the website so you can take advantage of all the information they have on file (i.e., email address, etc.). But, if that’s not an option, then create a new account under an alias and start over again. And don’t worry, you’re not alone in wanting to quit. We’re all in this together.