Teens Find Fun and Friends in Magic: The Gathering

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By Sara Hollar, Olympia High School Intern to ThurstonTalk

dairy queenSince its creation in 1993, Magic: The Gathering and its community have been thriving world-wide.  Luckily for local Magic enthusiasts, Thurston County provides plenty of opportunities to get involved in the game. In fact, the area is a sort of Magic paradise, especially for teens. From school clubs to card shop tournaments, now is a great time to be a Magic player.

Magic: The Gathering is a fantasy-based trading card game that allows players to build decks and compete. It can be played one-on-one, in tournament style or with drafts where players draw random cards to make a deck. The game involves complex rules and strategy both in playing against competitors and building decks.

magic the gathering
OHS junior Adam Sloma shows off his Magic deck. He considers this his greatest accomplishment when it comes to Magic.

Many players spend quite a lot of time and money creating the perfect deck, which consist of 60 plus cards. When it comes to Magic, Adam Sloma, a junior at Olympia High School, is most proud of his mono-green, ramp deck. “I’ve thrown a lot of money at it,” he says.

Of course, the total cost of playing the game is really up to the player but most admit that it’s not the cheapest hobby. Stacia Hollar’s 16-year-old son, Devan, has been playing off-and-on since 2007. They both agree that quite a bit of money has gone toward the game but Stacia doesn’t mind. “I think of it as an investment. Magic keeps him entertained now and eventually the cards could be worth some money,” she states.

Devan and many of his friends play Magic regularly and they each have a unique story about their experience with the game. Some players, like Adam, have been playing since grade school. Other teens discovered Magic through their friends. They spend hours in basements and around kitchen tables learning to play, building decks, holding drafts and trading cards. “I like hanging out with friends and just playing. There is direct social interaction. You can just chill with your buddies, it’s like poker,” comments 16-year-old Nolen Young.

For a few players, the game is a family affair. Connor Soots, an OHS junior, was exposed to Magic by his parents. Erin Snodgrass, also an OHS junior, has been playing since she was four. Her dad, brother, uncles and cousins all play Magic. Her dad and OHS teacher, Tim Snodgrass has a special role in the Olympia Magic community as the staff advisor of the Olympia High School Magic: The Gathering Club.

Erin Snodgrass and Owen Thompson face off during OHS's Magic Club.
Erin Snodgrass and Owen Thompson face off during OHS’s Magic Club.

Tim originally ran the OHS Dungeons and Dragons club but many of its members graduated. Instead, a group of juniors asked Tim to advise a Magic club. Starting officially this school year, the club has already seen fantastic turn-out. Players of all ability levels are welcome during the Friday morning flex hour. The club is currently running a tournament to allow students to compete against each other but Tim emphasizes that the games remain casual and fun.

“Magic club is an area of interest for kids. It’s a place to go and I hope it’s always that. Its just students participating in things they enjoy,” Tim says.

The club members agree that Magic is also a great way to meet new people. Players span from freshmen to seniors and although the main demographic is boys, there are a number of girls that play. Erin Snodgrass highly recommends the game to any interested women. “Sometimes it’s a little rough with all the testosterone but I would love for more girls to play,” she laughs. “It’s very fun and it’s not just a ‘boys’ game. I think girls would like it.”

Magic Club provides a great opportunity for OHS students but Magic players of all ages can find a caring atmosphere at Gabi’s Olympic Cards and Comics in Lacey. OCC, as its regulars affectionately call it, is the local go-to for all things Magic: The Gathering. Owner Gabi Trautmann bought the store when she was 18, incidentally on the same week that Magic was first published. She’s been a part of the community every step of the way. Currently the shop hosts Magic events almost every day of the week, including Beginner’s Night and Lady Planeswalkers, a night for women Magic players.

Games aren’t only played during the designated Magic times though. “We always have people playing randomly whenever they want because we have so much game space. Just about every minute that we’re open there is someone playing Magic,” Gabi describes.

magic the gathering
Forrest Kim (L) and Tyler Murphy trade Magic cards at Olympic Cards and Comics.

The strength of the Magic community at Olympic Cards and Comics is a little awe-inspiring. With Gabi at the helm, players create a welcoming and open environment for players of all skill levels. Some customers have been going to Olympic Cards and Comics for decades and Gabi has watched kids grow up in her store. She recounts that one of her favorite memories of the Magic community was a tournament held in order to raise funds for a young woman in Renton who was wheelchair-bound in a car accident. “It was quite touching to see the community come together like that,” Gabi remembers.

One Saturday night, Forrest Kim and Tyler Murphy can be found trading cards in OCC’s upstairs game area. Forrest is a 20-year-old student at The Evergreen State College who has played for four years. Thirteen year old Tyler attends Bush Middle School and started playing six months ago. They both play usually three nights a week at OCC. Neither has friends from school that play Magic but they have found a group at Olympic Cards and Comics that loves the game as much as they do. They have become friends with one another and others at the shop, despite obvious differences. Making friends at the shop isn’t uncommon, in fact Gabi says it’s one of her favorite parts about her job.

“Every week, there’s just kids who come in here and hang out. They’re a part of something. You can see them protect each other and hang out and build friendships that are going to last forever,” explains Gabi. “There’s a lot of kids here who have been friends for a decade and the only thing they have in common is Magic. They go to different schools, they’re different ages but they have the common denominator of Magic.”

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