{"id":4395,"date":"2026-05-07T06:52:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T06:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.judge.fabtcg.com\/?p=4395"},"modified":"2026-05-07T06:52:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T06:52:50","slug":"europe-mentoring-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.judge.fabtcg.com\/es\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/europe-mentoring-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Building the Foundation: Introducing the Europe Feedback & Mentoring Team"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

There has never been a better time to be a judge in Flesh and Blood. The game is growing, Organized Play is expanding, and the demand for qualified judges at events of all sizes is higher than ever. That growth creates an opportunity and a responsibility.<\/span><\/p>

To support that momentum, the Judge Program has established regional Feedback & Mentoring teams across all three georegions: the Americas, led by Agustin Garzino; APAC, led by James Medland; and Europe, which this article is about. Each team operates independently, shaped by its region’s culture and needs, while sharing a common purpose: building a stronger, more supported path toward L2 and beyond.<\/span><\/p>

This article is an introduction to the Europe team: who we are, what we are here to do, and what you can expect from us over the course of 2026.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Why This Team Exists<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The judge program’s ability to support Organized Play depends directly on the number of qualified judges available, particularly at the L2 level. L2 judges are the backbone of local competitive play. They can head judge a PQ, mentor newer judges, and create the kind of environment that makes events worth attending.<\/span><\/p>

Europe currently has room to grow significantly in this area. Not because the talent is not there, but because the path to L2 is not always visible, the support structures are not always in place, and the role itself is sometimes misunderstood.<\/span><\/p>

That is the problem this team exists to address.<\/span><\/p>

A dedicated article on what L2 actually requires is coming separately. The short version: the bar is more accessible than many judges think. If you are already head judging a ProQuest or a Road to Nationals, you are already doing the job of an L2. The certification should reflect the work you are already doing. Our goal is partly to make that reality clearer, and largely to build the structures that help motivated judges make it official.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

The Europe Team<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Emilien\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

I am \u00c9milien Wild (Belgium, FR\/EN), leading the Europe team. I have been judging TCGs since 2008 and have held program leadership roles since 2013, including as former Policy Lead for FAB. My focus is on building systems, supporting people’s growth, and making sure good ideas become real ones.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Europe\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Bianka “Pheli” Brenneke<\/b> (Germany, DE\/EN) brings a deeply personal understanding of mentoring. She has been actively mentoring L1 judges in her local community and is focused on building frameworks that make mentoring sustainable, structured, and meaningful without turning it into a burden.<\/span><\/p>

Linus Hossfeld<\/b> (Germany, DE\/EN) is passionate about growing local communities and making the judge program visible and attractive at the grassroots level. He is working on content that puts a human face on the L2 journey and helps aspiring judges see themselves in it.<\/span><\/p>

Veeti Kainulainen<\/b> (Finland, FI\/EN\/SWE) has built connections across local and international communities. He is focused on supporting L2 candidates’ confidence and giving mentors practical tools to support their mentees’ development.<\/span><\/p>

Renzo Schietgat<\/b> (Belgium, NL\/EN\/FR) combines his background as a teacher with his experience as both player and judge. He is working on practical mentoring guides covering how to give feedback, how to support candidates, and how to listen effectively.<\/span><\/p>

Robbert Valkeneers<\/b> (Belgium, EN\/NL\/FR) brings seven years of professional experience as a team lead and scrum master. He is focused on publishing mentor-mentee success stories and developing structured mentoring workshops and roleplay sessions.<\/span><\/p>

G\u00e9rard Trpin<\/b> (France, too many languages to list) focuses on the practical side of the Mentor tournament role: helping with logistics, collecting feedback, and supporting the iteration process as the role develops on the ground at events.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

What We Are Working On<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Our work in 2026 falls into a few broad areas.<\/span><\/p>