I play Hattrick because it has become a sort of strange family to me. I've been playing since 2008 and I've met a lot of people here. Very interesting people, very strange people, all kinds of people. I think I'm still playing Hattrick because in this game I have found a lot of friends. Some of them are now very close to me and my family, they have seen my child's birth and Hattrick is still the place where I can find them.
I started playing Hattrick in the summer of 2002 when a friend, who I played "Fantasy Wrestling" with online, told me about Hattrick. I made many mistakes in the beginning. At that time there was no such thing as mentors or beginners' guides. So my very first club was bankrupt after only a few weeks. Luckily, I was able to restart with a new club shortly after that and then I did a lot better.
In HT, my biggest achievement is to be the assistant manager of the U20 national team of Suriname. And of course also, when my dream came true and I reached the third division with my own team!
One reason I play Hattrick is because I like the cyclical nature of the game. You start with an idea about what kind of team you want to build, then you train long-term (up to 3 years in real life!). While you build, you can test and try to comprehend the aspect of the match simulation that you want to master. I also like the tactical choices you have to make for each match. But the most important component is the community.
Some of my Hattrick friends I've known for more than a decade now, which is longer than quite a few of my real-world friendships. You build up trusting relationships with them, and meet people you'd normally never meet. That's also what I really enjoy about the federations in Hattrick - some are really places where you can share your personal stories. A federation in Hattrick was one of the first places where I disclosed I was going to become a father!
What I like about the Hattrick community? Everything. I like all the help you can get in the forums about the game, but also for everything else it gives you in everyday life. Hattrick is my favorite social network.