I really can’t let Olav’s comments about “Over The Hill at 25” go unpunished.  Sure there are a lot of kids in STCCG gaming, but from my perspective, anyone under 35 is a kid anyway.  I’d better start by admitting it, I’m 52 and claim to be the world’s oldest regular STCCG player: though I’ll happily relinquish the title if anyone admits to being older.

How did someone of my advanced years get into what the kiddies claim is their exclusive territory?  Simply as a result of a long series of steps which I will now bore the pants off you by listing:

(a) I’ve been a Trekker ever since the Original series aired for the FIRST time (1966 in the UK).

(b) I’m now a Secondary School teacher (to you poor souls living in the Colonies that’s like one of your High Schools) and have run a school-based Star Trek Club for many years.

(c) STCCG sort of gradually took over the club and we now run a School STCCG league with about ten regular players taking part.  I am also teach them how to play the game!

Tournament Play? The School is in West Cornwall so if we want to play in tournaments, we will have to organise our own and that’s the next development: more of that next year when the “Cornish National STCCG Championship” gets off the ground!

Now back to Olav’s claim that anyone over 25 is geriatric: its up to you sonny, if you want to be over the hill at 25 (or 21 or even 15) then you will be!  It's up to the individual.  Now as to the versatility of younger players: don’t make me laugh!  Sure they can always be counted on to try something new no matter how daft it is. Where as older players are more likely to think things through and incorporate changes more gradually.  Usually trying one new thing at a time, and if it works keep it but if it doesn’t: ditch it.  The kiddies tend to change everything at once and keep on plugging away with new variations that do not work.

Me I keep on with my “Borg Kitchen Sink Deck”: no its not the same deck as it was last year!  I’ve incorporated “Voyager” and “The Borg” expansion cards into it.  It works the same, but its now a lot tougher to get past.  I also play other affiliations as the mood takes me but Borg is my favourite.

Why do I play at my advanced years?  Many reasons: I enjoy the intricacies of the game, particularly the inter relationships between the cards.  I enjoy collecting this item of Trek Memorabilia.  I enjoy the mental processes that go on during the game, particularly the problem solving, the planning and the lateral thinking.  But more importantly I enjoy the looks on the Kiddies faces when this “Old Guy” hammers them 125-0 for about the nineteenth time!

So Olav, you might be over the hill at 25 but I AS SURE AS HELL AIN’T!!!!!