Make-Believe Teams. Real Friendships.

I play in three fantasy football leagues.

I don’t think I’ve ever won any of them.

At this point, you might reasonably ask why I keep doing this.

One league I’ve been in since I was 12. Another I started about 11 years ago. Over time, that one became a way to stay connected with customers and people I enjoyed talking to but didn’t always have a reason to call anymore.

Today, I’d call every one of them a dear friend.

The third league is with a bunch of local dads. And when you don’t have much free time, it’s nice to have something to talk about besides who’s picking up the kids, insurance, or taxes.

For a little while, we get to disconnect from the daily stuff and root for our make-believe teams.

That’s what I love about it.

It gives me a reason to send a message. To reach out to somebody I haven’t talked to. To keep a conversation going with people I want in my life.

A lot of those conversations end up going well beyond football. But football gets them started.

When life gets busy, it’s easy to keep thinking, “I should catch up with them,” without actually doing it. These leagues give me a little reason every week to follow through.

Now, let’s be clear. I also just love watching football. Give me pretty much any game, and if I have the time, I’m watching. There’s a reason the NFL season is my favorite time of year.

And yes, I would eventually like to win one of these leagues.

But the friendships have given me plenty of reasons to keep coming back.

What’s your version of that? Fantasy football? D&D? A regular game night?

What gives you a reason to disconnect for a bit and stay connected to your people?