Judge of the Month February 2023 – Amanda Coots

Welcome to the very first installment of Judge of the Month! We are excited to kick off this series with an outstanding member of our community, Amanda Coots. Amanda has been a mainstay on the Flesh and Blood tournament scene ever since the first Calling in Las Vegas in 2021. Since then, she’s been at about every major US tournament in a leadership role, and has been a major force in shaping the Flesh and Blood judge community as it is today. We’re proud to induct her as our inaugural judge of the month!

Name: Amanda Coots

Level: 2

Location: Houston, TX

Judging Flesh & Blood for: About 2 years

Favorite Hero: Lexi

If you were a Flesh & Blood hero, what would your class and/or talent would be?
Mechanologist

Occupation: Flight controller at NASA – if you’ve seen Apollo 13, it’s something like that.   Specifically, I command the bolts and latches that attach the modules on the space station together. And teach astronauts how to perform maintenance like removing and replacing a computer.

Why did you become a judge?
I started judging with Magic: the Gathering. My sister, brother-in-law and I had all been playing for a while and they had started playing in some of the bigger tournaments. I wasn’t really interested in playing in the large competitive tournaments, so judging was a way I could travel with them and have something to do at tournaments. I kept judging because I really enjoyed the logistics side of large tournaments, helping the tournaments to run more smoothly. I started judging FAB around the time that large tournaments restarted because I enjoyed the game and saw an opportunity to apply my previous logistical skills in a new area.

What are some tips you have for other judges?
Listen to other judges, some of the skills we use are hard to teach, and come primarily from observing and practicing the things that we see.

What is your proudest moment in your FaB judging career?
Head judging the Calling Vegas 2021!

What has been your favorite Flesh & Blood event that you’ve judged?
I don’t think there’s one specifically. Several stand out – Calling Vegas 2021, US Nats 2022, Pro Tour Lille.

How has being a judge influenced your life outside of Flesh & Blood?
I’ve learned more about myself, and grown in confidence & leadership skills.

What is your favorite non-judging memory that happened with other Judges?
Enjoying great meals out with friends.

What is your favorite non-Flesh & Blood hobby?
I’m kind of a serial hobbiest, bouncing around between different things. I really enjoy board games & have a large collection. I also really enjoy smart home tech, and like to play around with new gadgets in my house.

You were head judge at the first (post-2020) Calling in the United States, what was that experience like? How did you prepare?
It was the first post-pandemic calling. There were a couple of callings in 2019, but I wasn’t judging FAB yet. I was nervous but excited. FAB large events were still fairly new to the US, but I had a lot of experience from other games. I spent the 3 weeks before the event study the meta, refreshing my rules & policy knowledge. Rules & policy weren’t nearly as polished then as they are now, but I enjoyed the challenge. The judging team included a great mix of FAB & large tournament experience, and we learned a lot from each other.

How did your experience as head judge for the first U.S. Calling compare to other Callings you’ve judged since then?
Rules and policy have come a long way, and we’ve had a lot of opportunity to discuss & refine policy philosophy. The judges on the floor have also gained experience and confidence.

What is the primary advice you’d give to judges looking to succeed in leadership roles?
Have a plan, but be prepared to do other things. Flexibility is important as new things come up. Make sure you’re delegating most of the team’s tasks, so you have time to stay aware of the big picture. Trust in your team to do their tasks, but check in to make sure they are being completed (trust but verify).

Thank you to Amanda for your contributions to the Flesh & Blood judging community and for taking some time to answer our questions! Want to nominate a judge for next month? Fill out this form to get them in the running!