The North American Online League (NAOL) is wrapping up its inaugural year with the conclusion
of its sixth 2-month season, gearing up for Season 7, scheduled to kick off in 2024.
Registration* for the upcoming season is now open, marking a milestone for the league as it continues to gain momentum. Access to the league and game reviews remains a complimentary offering for members of the American Go Association (AGA), as well as members of the Canadian and Mexican Go associations.
In the course of 2023, the NAOL has seen an impressive tally of over 1600 matches played, reflecting the vibrant engagement within the league. Emphasizing its international character, the league boasts participation from three countries, including Mexico (32 players), Canada (90) and the US (253).
The community-oriented enhancements implemented in 2023 have further enriched the player experience. Participants now have the ability to specify their general availability aligned with appropriate time zones, facilitating smoother scheduling. Additionally, players can optionally include their Discord handles, fostering better communication and connectivity within the league. Further streamlining the process, automatic match reminders and scheduling notifications are dispatched via email, aiding players in keeping track of their engagements.
Each season in the NAOL structure comprises five round-robin games for players grouped alongside six similarly rated peers. Game ratings are published on Leago, the league's designated management software. Matchdays are fixed on Tuesday evenings, with selected games being subjected to review sessions on Wednesday evenings. Notably, each player is entitled to one or more reviews per season from the NAOL's team, comprising esteemed high dan and professional reviewers.
The NAOL team, highlighted recently in the E-Journal, is a formidable assembly, consisting of key figures integral to the league's success. The team's lineup features Milan Mladenovic, NAOL TD, Nick Prince, Leago creator, Michael Chen (1P), Shawn Ray (4D), Ben Mantle (5D), Kevin Yang (7D), Dwyrin (5D), Chris Sagner (5D), Yilun Yang (7P) and Alexander Qi (1P).
*To register, change Season 6 to Season 7 at the top of the Leago page, then click Sign In and you will be prompted to join.