Techies Off The Clock - Part 2

Because every league has the same characters, chaos, and side quests.

If Post 1 was about why everyone in NYC tech joins a rec league, Post 2 is about something much funnier:

What happens once you’re actually in one.

Because here’s the truth:
Every NYC tech rec league - kickball, pickleball, soccer, whatever, runs on the same unwritten rules. No one tells you these rules. They just… appear. Like kombucha in a startup fridge.

Let’s break them down.

🟣 Rule #1: The PM Is Automatically Team Captain

This is not up for discussion.

They show up with:

a Notion page
a color-coded lineup
a pregame “sprint plan”
and a pep talk that sounds suspiciously like a retro

They will say things like:
“Okay team, blockers?”
And somehow… it works.

🟪 Rule #2: The Engineer Over-Optimizes Everything

They calculate kick angles.
They model wind resistance.
They say things like:
“Technically… the parabola is off.”

Do they kick better because of this?
Absolutely not.
But do we respect the hustle?
Every single time.

🟣 Rule #3: The Designer Is Secretly the Best Athlete

Quiet, chill, wearing an all-black outfit that definitely cost too much.

No warmup.
No stretching.
No talking.

Then they step up and casually launch the winning kick like it’s nothing.

🟪 Rule #4: The Team Group Chat Becomes a Full-Time Job

It starts innocent.
“Who’s free Thursday?”

Then it evolves into:

memes
standings screenshots
jersey color debates
someone suggesting stickers
someone else actually designing them

Before you know it, this chat is more active than your company Slack.

🟣 Rule #5: Someone Always Brings a Founder Friend

Every league has that one person who shows up with “a friend from a startup.”

That friend:

is trying to raise a seed round
hands out advice between innings
has already drawn a chart on the back of the roster sheet

You will end up following them on LinkedIn.

🟪 Rule #6: Post-Game Drinks Are Mandatory Culture-Building

It doesn’t matter if you win or lose.
Everyone ends up at the same bar.

This is where:

ideas get pitched
jobs get offered
teams get built
the real friendships form

This is the true “networking event”… disguised as a sweaty celebration.

🟣 Rule #7: The Real Win Isn’t the Scoreboard

It’s the team dynamic.
The inside jokes.
The surprising friendships.
The feeling of belonging.

Because rec leagues aren’t really about sports.
They’re about community — the thing remote work accidentally erased.

And once you’ve experienced that?
You get why NYC tech keeps showing up.

– The Cat Cache Team 🐾

🥎 The Unwritten Rules of NYC Tech Rec Leagues