San Diego Judge Community: State of Affairs

Disclaimer: This blog post does not reflect the opinions of specific members of the San Diego Judge Community aside from my own. This is merely the culmination of observation and experience for a phenomenon I am observing in the community …

Grounding Techniques for Event Anxiety

Judging events may induce symptoms of anxiety. Remember, you don’t necessarily need an anxiety disorder diagnosis to experience symptoms such as feeling overwhelmed or nervousness. You might be having a bad day, running low on sleep, nervous about that L2 …

The Road to Vegas – Part III: More Common Interactions

The dawn is upon us. Two weeks until we make history. Two weeks to prepare… to steel our minds, hearts, and souls. Two weeks until we stand on the precipice of the largest event in Trading Card Game history. Two …

The Road to Vegas – Part II: Common Interactions

I re-read my previous post. http://blogs.magicjudges.org/billy/2015/04/14/the-road-to-vegas-part-i-hot-buttons/ I had intended it to be a simple how-to for a worst-case-scenario. Instead, it read like a manifesto for panic and disarray. ARM YOURSELVES WITH MY KNOWLEDGE AND YOU SHALL SURVIVE THE HORDES OF …

The Road to Vegas – Part I: Hot Buttons

Grand Prix Las Vegas. These four words invoke a flurry of emotions. Elation! Anticipation! Excitement! Our souls are steeled as we dig our heels in preparation for a record breaking, earth shattering, time altering event! And if you are accusing …

Preventing Burnout

  Burnout. It is a sinister, venomous beast. You don’t see Burnout coming. You don’t feel its fangs sink into your neck. But you feel the effects. You become tired. Unmotivated. Unable to move and unable to think. Your efficiency decreases, …

Tips for Teaching

[Disclaimer I: I am by no means an expert teacher, nor are rules a strong-point for myself. I acknowledge this, and this article is merely advice and opinions on teaching methods. The following post does not apply to every student, …
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QP: The Casual Player

[QP stands for “Quick Post.”] Not all players are competitive. Some players are non-competitive, casual players. When approaching a new player, determine if they are competitive or “casual.” If they are casual: DO: -Ask what their favorite card is. -Ask …

Mentor Series: Motivation

The role of “Magic: The Gathering Judge” is complex. At the core, we encompass the three main areas of Rules, Policy/Procedure, and Customer Service. Beyond this trinity of identity lies a vast tabula rasa for us to explore who we …
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Customer Service I – A Link

Hi, My name is Billy San Juan. I’m a Level 1 from San Diego, CA. Welcome to my blog. I’ll be focusing on a variety of topics in this series. Most of the topics will center around customer service interactions. …