After 18 months of wrestling with the decision, I've made peace with potentially this year being my last ride and year within the Rocket League space.
This 'stepping back / potential retirement' will be from both a local level as the unofficial "Grassroots" guy for OCE RL and the 'official' Events Director for RL Oceania (RLO), as well as also at the global level as "Lukasz's Apprentice" aka Senior Reviewer with Liquipedia RL.
Through when I first joined both RLO and LPRL back nearly 7-8 years ago now, never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be on the cusp of making this more than a "passion project" and into a potential "full-time career".
- Through working on Commonwealth Games, Dreamhacks, RLCS B-Stream broadcasts, operating and coordinating over 550+ events with just RLO alone, and many more projects with sponsors such as Lenovo Legion, JB HI-FI and Twitch.
- Through being #2 all-time in LPRL edits behind the "Goat" in Lukasz, where I came in being told that the "shit show and mess that was called oce coverage" was becoming my sole responsibility, and now it being one of the most up-to-date regions thanks for the ultimate Padawan in Olii backing me up is a proud LEGACY that I'm grateful in leaving. To then also being appointed lead on the "School Team" Portal project and watching that space grow in a weird way has been a proud dad moment.
- Through the organisations and players I've worked closely with as an "Unofficial Agent" and "Team Manager" or even just a "Consultant" for such as Justice Esports and Dire Wolves, that opportunity to watch players achieve goals of being paid or even recognised for their efforts to become athletes, pro or semi-pro, is something again I'm proud of just been helping in pointing in the right direction.
- The countless connections I've made across so many regions, the countless thankyous I would need to write to show my appreciation, to some it up THANKYOU FOR EVERYTHING. It's a hard decision to potentially move on because as a once famous person once said "You don't turn your back on family".
All and all I've had a journey which I'll remember for a lifetime as an event manager, statistician, broadcast assistant, colleague, friend, and fan which as I reflect upon I will always be grateful to of been apart of.
Whilst I currently can't say I've been able to reach that final milestone of locking in a permanent full-time job within the Rocket League or Esport space as a whole, I'm at peace with leaving a LEGACY that I hope that gets carried on following me potentially moving on.
SO WHY THE DEPARTURE?!
Well I'm wrapping up my Sport Business Bachelor degree in November, currently burning the candle at many ends with 5 subjects to do this semester due to mess up in subject availability for Semester 1, but we can handle the pressure ;).
With working Part-Time contracted on full-time-ish hours in the Aquatics industry as Maintenance, Slide Inspector, and Head Lifeguard for Raging Waters Sydney, they have the opportunity and potential to send individuals like myself overseas to other partner water parks during our winter months which in return can become a full-time career and as such is where my heart and mind has settled on. Ironically I was meant to be overseas during this winter as a trial but it fell through last minute.
Thus I'm gonna try and commit myself to it again, in a same manner I've done here in RL and get stuck in.
I'll 100% know I'll still be involved here in the RL space in some capacity in the new year, maybe handing over, or even just in a reduced role, but this last 3 months is going to be one I'm looking forward to, it's gonna be hella busy with so many projects going on with my involvement in a more head of operations role but I'm excited to possibly go out with a BANG as the leading face!
To all of you, take care, love you all and talk soon!!
- Josh "Basincc"
aka Basin-C-C, Mr Bas, Bas, Bashnick, Brahsink, Bruhsin-C-C, Basin, Mr OCE, and many more weird name combinations you've said to me over the year.