One of the greatest things about sports is that they can offer a sense of inclusion. Even if you’re up in the cheapest seats in the arena, you still feel like a part of the team when they score a point. Communities have always formed around sports, but often, they can feel intimidating to newcomers who may not be able to prove that they are “real fans” just yet.
STATSdraft wants to change that by providing sports gaming to historically overlooked communities. Created by co-founder Topher Enneking to teach his friend from Zimbabwe about teamwork within football, STATSdraft is now finding new ways to bridge the gap between fans and sports that traditionally go unseen.
As the name suggests, STATSdraft is a game where you draft stats. Selecting from a list of options like Least Fouls Wins (basketball), Most Passing Yards Wins (football), or Most Robot2 Auto Leave Wins aka: ⬆️🤖2🚙🍃Wins (robotics). If the winning team wins your stat, you get 2 points. If the stat (or game) is a tie, you get 1 point. If the losing team wins your stat, you get 0 points. After the games are played, you get to see how the winning teams got it done and which of the people you’re playing against was best able to predict that strategy. STATSdraft is a new and unique way to connect with others and collaborate about our favorite sports.
First centered around the NFL, STATSdraft’s focus on the stats of teamwork has allowed them to expand into new sports and communities. Topher, who spent many years as a football player, states, “It has been amazing that after a lifetime of being an athlete and fan there are still so many sports and communities that I’m learning about. I’ve learned about cricket and robotics. Just last night we discussed our excitement about including robotics [in STATSdraft], which led to a great friend telling us about her experiences with robotics. It ended with us looking at scrap books from when she competed as a kid. Learning about a new sport helped me gain a new depth of understanding about someone I already loved.”
Topher comes alive when talking about the connections that STATSdraft has created. “The way things have come together has really been magical. A post of me playing cricket in the yard with my daughter and niece led to me making a friend in Bangladesh who sends me cricket clips. That same week, our local newspaper ran an article on the KU Cricket Club, so I reached out, and they welcomed me to participate. Now, we offer FIRST Robotics Competitions on the STATSdraft app because we asked a room of high school students how we could find sports communities that aren’t being offered sports gaming, and one student saw a direct connection between our passions. To take a step back and be shown how accessible this platform that Dustin (cofounder, CTO of STATSdraft) has developed is really kind of stunning.”
Topher says he sometimes feels like he is still playing center (Jason Kelce’s position), and one of his responsibilities was to gather his teammates into the huddle. He says this is one of his favorite parts of the STATSdraft experience. “I haven’t always been good at reaching out and calling the huddle in my life and relationships. I have always counted on the structure of an activity to bring me together with my people. Now, we have created something that is motivating me to reach out and connect. It really is bringing breadth and depth to my personal community.”
Because of these connections, STATSdraft dreams of offering a gaming experience for sports like pro wrestling and roller derby. “Our co-founder Velle has a passion for pro wrestling, and my college roommate Michael Palomba is part owner of Southern States Pro Wrestling. So we’re daydreaming ways we could “stat-ify” those events. Melody (co-founder, CMO) also played roller derby as Mary Lou Wretched, so we’re hoping to incorporate that too!”
Learn more about STATSdraft by visiting their website or downloading the app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play.
