Fantasy Football and Chess League Add Healthy Competition at Enova

By: Anne Perkins, Senior Copywriter
September 12, 2013

It’s that time of year again, when the leaves start turning, the grills start burning, and football fans across the country compete with friends, family and co-workers in fantasy football leagues. At Enova, we’re joining the fun with an interdepartmental league, and while there’s no payout, winning the Enova Fantasy League means a company trophy and serious bragging rights.

For the Enova League, each department is allowed one team, with a designated team manager in charge of drafting and roster management. With Enova’s Compliance Team led by PR Manager Mike Gilhooly taking home the trophy for the 2012 season, Enova employees were eager for another Fantasy Football season and another chance at the title. “I’ve spent way too much time looking at football stats for this year,” says Gilhooly. “My wife threatened to change our Wi-Fi password.”

While competition within departments is natural, the league also serves as a great excuse for co-workers to watch games together. In past seasons, Enova’s rec room has become a hot spot for Monday Night Football games, with as many as 30 or 40 employees gathering after work. According to Gilhooly, the league “has motivated a lot of trash talk…in a good way.”

For those Enova employees less interested in yelling at a TV screen and more prone to long, thoughtful silences, Enova has paired with the Chicago Industrial Chess League. Founded in 1957, and consisting of 21 6-person teams within in the metropolitan Chicago area, the CICL begins its season in August and runs all the way to April. It’s a come-one-come-all organization eager to share one of the world’s oldest games with not just chess devotees, but new players as well. “It’s fun,” says Dan Bryan, long-time employee at Enova, “but it’s also educational. People don’t understand that you can spend your whole life playing chess and there’s always something more to learn.”