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If you're just joining the league, first off we welcome you! Let me take a minute to explain how the league (and joining it) works. You do not need to have RL hockey experience or even be an expert. We welcome and have all skill levels.
HISTORY: Global Online Hockey Association (GOHA) was started in 2006 by a few real hockey fanatics! I started it on almost a whim, building a hockey rink at our island of Jericho Hill about a year and a half after I came to Second Life. There was, at one time, a working rink at a place called Spittonie Isle, but it had been deserted and I never got to participate or find anything out on it. I'm not even sure if there was a working league or not. So I thought I would give it a try. A scriptor, Alex Jevon, was hired and our first hockey script was born! Pretty soon, people started stumbling across it. Weis Hickman, Marjan Tomba, SpecialK Sabre and Ray Goalpost were a couple of the first folks hanging around helping me launch this. We had enough people for two teams, the Wolves and Whales, not too long after. We got a new script and played that one for a few seasons, and changed websites, building our league history. Folks come and go..just like in any online environment..but when you join up you will become familiar with some of the our "legends"...Amazin Jacks..Lobo Rodriquez..Jato Rolland...Wilton Beaumont..to name a few. There's some folks still around from Season 1 and we like to hash over old times and enjoy new times. We've grown into 3 divisions, 12 teams, a well-recognized group with even our own fan base! woot!
FINANCE: GOHA is free. There is no fee to play or for equipment. We have a bank account kept by Micah Alexander which is donated money. We get donations from members and fans from time to time. Also, some members have vendors at the rink in which they sell hockey-related items, and donate a portion to the league. Any league member may put out a low-lag vendor free of charge. The islands are provided by Jack Belvedere, Katia Ixtab and Anhayla Lycia. The bank is used for GOHA related needs such as equipment, advertising, scripting, etc.
All management and referee roles are on a volunteer basis. It is against league rules for players to be given money for goals, trade deals, etc.
GETTING STARTED:Here's how you get started. Once you've discovered us in-game, be sure to join the group "Global Online Hockey Association (GOHA)" inside Second Life. There's about 60 groups related to hockey, and several newer smaller hockey leagues, so be sure you find that one that has "founded by Micah Alexander" by the description.
Then, sign up for this website using the prompt at the upper right hand corner.You must be signed up for the website before you can be placed on a team. We use this website often for communication, scheduling, and stats.Make sure that your SL avatar name is indicated in your profile here, or we won't know who you are. (Go up to "Your Schedule" and then edit your profile, making sure that in the First and Last name areas, it is your SL Avatar name). Once I have "activated" your name on the website, you will be able to read all the forum areas. You can start out by attending the daily 5pm games and contacting Anhayla Lycia, Farm Manager, for information on joining up a rookie team and getting started.
Currently, the main divisions are the North American and European. The teams and some information on them are as follows:
North American:
Cobras, captain Ellick Yumako
Ice Lords, captain BillyBob Street
Moose, captain Naida Jewell
Whales, captain Marjan Tomba
Wolves, captain Wilbur Wood
*Note: N.A. game times and days are Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The weekend games are held in the afternoons (SL time zone) and weeknight games 5-7:30 pm SL time. You can check this website for all the days and times.
European:
Foxes, Ravens and Storm.
Euro Commissioner: Tuvok Dingson.
*Note if you are interested in playing in the Euro division, in which game times are 10am and 1pm SL time, be sure to contact Tuvok Dingson.
Farm Division:
Manager: Anhayla Lycia
Teams: Crocs, Eagles
Game days and times: Monday, Wednesday at 6pm. Saturdays at 9am
Also daily scrimmages open for all rookies and vets at 5pm on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
EQUIPMENT, LAG, AND RULES: All equipment is available at the rink and is free. The script was rewritten in May 2008 to accommodate the multiple SL changes related to Havok, and for Season 6 has been heavily modified and improved by our own longtime GOHA member Dyz Warburton. There are instructions inside the boxes, and if you need assistance, just ask any member, there's usually folks hanging around.
Lag is a big issue in Second Life. To optimize your hockey game, please be sure to read the notecard included in the equipment box about lag. You can turn off much of your SL rendering for games and this will significantly reduce your own lag. The notecard will explain to you how to do this.
Please be sure to take the time and review the rules. We have some unusual rules as far as hockey goes! You will not see line calls with the exception of the blue line. There's no penalties for things like crosschecking, high sticking etc because it does not exist in here. You can however be penalized for being in the extra-large crease: This is an SL-specific rule we created long ago due to the SL issues with lag, the goalie needs extra protection and is the only one who can be in the crease. We also have some fairly strict conduct rules. Due to the anonymous nature of online games, it is not uncommon for people to "act out" and this affects the enjoyment of everyone, so rules about profanity and treatment of refs are strict. For everyone to have fun, we expect players to adhere to good sportsmanship and decent behavior on the ice. We do have an advisory committee made up of SLHA members to review instances of possible suspensions or game-related conflicts.
HELP ALWAYS WANTED!: Keeping the GOHA going (a monumental task in a place like Second Life!) requires dedication and a kind of stubborn commitment. The GOHA managers always welcome a helping hand to keep things as organized as possible and running smoothly. If you have the time and the ability to lend a hand, let us know! We can surely find a place for you. |
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| We will be having a draft in December. Every player who wants to play gets drafted! Be sure to drop by for the daily 5pm scrimmages and we will help you learn. It's easy to pick up and just takes practice. |
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 I am new thanks for welcoming! My name is Han. I appreciate those who helped me with questions and making it around the rink and for being patient. It is frustrating at times but It's great to know that I have support.
Thanks,
Han |
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| Bumping this up with new information. |
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| Bumping up with updated information. |
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