OCBCF Newsletter April 2006
OCBCF NEWSLETTER Volume 6
From the Editor:
Hello everyone, my name is Eddie R. Rios Sr. and I am the Region Director for Texas Chess Association Region 7. We certainly have had quite a year in chess. A whirlwind schedule or events seasoned with National, State, and Regional scholastic tournaments. Tournament Director certifications and new recruited Club Tournament Directors. Scholarships and more scholarships. This activities are living proof that Chess is thriving in Region 7.
I normally address everyone as the Editor of the OCBCF Newsletter, but this time I would like to give you the perspective from the Region Directors side of things. And as the Region Director for Region 7 of the Texas Chess Association, I consider the growth of participation and chess clubs in the region one of my most important priorities. The following suggestions are applied to any and all individuals associated with chess programs.
First off, I will address the parents. Without your efforts, our programs would be non-existent and players would have to travel to other distant cities to compete in different areas. While all that might be fun, it might also be difficult to transport teams and tax your energies to a point that you might start evaluating or weighing the pros and cons of your participation. It is vital that you remain involved in the programs and contribute your times to supporting your programs at the campus, and tournaments. The following is a list of things you might consider doing in the future. Volunteer by helping in your campus program after school. Volunteer by helping to transport teams to these tournaments, much as the same way the soccer parent does. Volunteer at the tournament sites or get involved with the support organizations. This way you will have a heads up on what is going on in the tournament circle. Help others learn the sport. Network with other parents to help build a stronger organization. Make your presence know to the administrators on campus so that you can harness their support.
Sponsors, you don’t really need to know how to play chess. To begin with, all you need to do is open your classrooms to the students and give them a place to play for a couple of hours a couple of times a week. You are a manager and not a coach. Even if you don’ know how to play the game, you can pass out flyers and help organize trips to competitions and fund raisers. Eventually, you might learn by attending these tournaments. If you wish to, make contact with a number of organizations that can help you and inform you more about chess in the classroom. If you wish not to participate as a coach, just give the players a chance to practice and you will take the credit when the places are handed out and the TAA Ks? scores are done. The greatest reward is watching your student’s faces when they are awarded their places at the end of the tournaments. Help to establish continuation at the higher levels by helping the less experienced volunteers.
Administrators(principals) Make contact and try to recruit a volunteer on your campus to sponsor a chess club. A small stipend equivalent to that of a UIL Coach would be a great motivator to finding a sponsor. Granted it is not much for the long hours dedicated, but it is the principle of the thing in many cases. Coke machine funds sometimes help pay for the stipend. Encourage tournaments and talk to other principals and try to get them involved in the movement. In order for the movement to grow, the feeder schools must have teams at the highest level representing their cluster so they will be motivated at the lower grades. Superintendents: encourage your principals to establish programs at all levels and keep them active. As mentioned before, perhaps a small stipend competitive with UIL sponsors would suffice. The importance of chess and its effects on high-level learning skills has been established. Encourage your board members to allocate funds to help these clubs on their campuses. After all- there are federal funds that can be directed to these programs (creativity required). Recognize the success of the clubs on your campuses at the board meetings and get the board members and the general public interested and involved.
Players, you have the most important role of all. You need to practice on the average 2 to 3 hours a week minimum. You also need to compete as often as possible and seek out those whose abilities are more challenging to you. You need to try to study at least 1 opening every two weeks and actually use them at practices. The most important thing you need to do is, go to the lower grade levels and tutor the up and coming talent. This in turn helps to keep the programs going and well supplied with players that are better prepared to be more competitive at the tournaments. After all, schools should take pride and support their teams. The better the teams do, the more players will want to come on board. Recruitment will self-perpetuate. You must turn the trickle of enthusiasm into a gusher. Strive to become club TD’s and help the lower levels by contributing your time to aid in the running of tournaments for your feeder schools. Remember, there is no age limit to becoming a TD, just your will to do so. Being the teacher turns you into the student and you learn more about leadership and responsibility as well as about the game and strategies themselves. Someone took the time with you, now put something back.
Don’t forget to visit the following websites: www.ocbcf.org
www.texaschess.org/ region7
www.susanpolgartexas.com
If you are interested, you may join Texas Chess Association by simply paying for your yearly fee. TCA meets twice a year, once at the Southwest open and then again at the Texas Scholastic State Chess Tournament. I am on a recruiting drive for our region, I wish to have as much representation for our region as possible, because we are 1 of two regions who put together have the highest attendance at the State Scholastic Tournament as far as I know. I wish our region to have the voices to be heard and be involved in the future development of chess in the state. Log on to www.texaschess.org and sign-up.
Thank You and Have another Chess Day Eddie R. Rios SR. Texas Chess Association Region Director for Region 7