Bridge and Your Family

Bridge is a great game for all ages and a terrific game to share within a family. How many activites is your child involved in that you can actively share with him. You can watch him play sports, admire his grades, be proud when he does something well but how often do you get actively involved in playing with your child? I know from personal experience that at 55 I can only keep up with my 9 year old grandchild for 30 minutes or so if we are playing a physical game. I can't come close to playing video games with him - his turns last 15 minutes as opposed to my 30 second turn. We go to movies and the book store together and that's always fun.

The only thing I can do with him is play games. Board games and card games are something we can share for hours. The trouble though is that 'kids card games' get old. There are only so many hours of War an adult wants to play.

In Bridge you can find a game that adults and children can learn and enjoy. It is complex enough that you will never learn it all. You can look forward to playing it for years to come. When your child (or grandchild) learns it also you will have a common bond that you can share with him for the rest of your life.

One of the parents of a young man I teach told me that she, her son and her daughter (who had all learned to play bridge in one of our summer camps) went to visit their grandmother. In past years even though her son certainly loved his grandmother, they didn't have much common ground to spend talking with each other. This visit they played Bridge. The son as partners with the grandmother and she and her daughter as partners. The Son/Grandmother soundly trounced them. Talked, congratulated each other on good plays and generally had a terrific time. She said this was one of the best visits they had every had.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had learned at 11. Both my parents played duplicate bridge. When I reached 15-16-17; those awful years when you want to be grown up and you're really not. Parents just don't understand! Bridge was one thing that we could still share. Maybe we weren't talking about really important things, but it kept a line of communication open between us during those tough years.

From a personal standpoint, I always felt a little out of place as a teenager. I was pretty smart, had some really good friends, a little athletic (though in my school days there were much fewer athletic opportunities for girls) a few boyfriends; but just felt a bit awkward. I'd rather curl up with a good book than talk about boys. I wasn't very interested in shopping. Playing Bridge was a social outlet for me, an intellectual stretch and a competitive opportunity.

Bridge may be the perfect 'fit' for your child and family as it was for me.

What about Money?

Let's see.....a movie nowadays last 90 to 120 minutes and the ticket is $7.00 (for children). Popcorn and drink another $10 (if you're lucky).

Soccer, Football, Band etc all have fees and equipment associated with them. Even the new fad; Robotics, can become quite expensive.

Then we have bridge. No special equipment needed. No uniform. No fees for your first lessons. Continuing classes are available to build your expertise. When you get ready to play in games; most clubs and tournaments have discounts for kids still in school. The games last 3 1/2 hours or so and in Georgia the average cost is $5.00.

Best of all the entire time the young player is there he is talking and socializing with people, actively engaging his mind and having fun.

This seems so easy. Why aren't your children playing? Why aren't you playing?

The Possibilities!

I was teaching a group of ladies bridge. Mostly well-to-do, children grown, retired....ready to take up a new hobby. I said to them - "What if I had told you when your kids were in Middle School that I could teach them a game that they would have fun learning and playing and that, IF they really liked it and kept on with it, they would have the chance to meet leaders of industry, business, education and philanthropy in a social setting and talk with them on an equal footing...what would you have said".

the answer was a resounding "Sign me up!"

The game is Bridge. If you play duplicate bridge at tournament level you will meet people from all walks of life. For the time you are at their table you are equals...they won't care how much money you have, who your family is, or where you come from. What will matter to them is your manners, your ability and how you handle adversity and success.

How can today's parents overlook the possibilities this offer for their children's success?

Why Youth Bridge?

I've been involved with teaching and organizing Youth Bridge for over 5 years now and the most asked question I still recieve is "Why are you involved in Bridge for Kids?".

The answer is easy. I've played bridge since I was 11 years old (now 54) and bridge has been a large part of my life. It is as fascinating to me now as it was then and I've never quit learning the game. Bridge never grows old.

It was a link between my parents and myself; even during those teenage years when it's almost impossible to find anything to talk to your parents about. It was an outlet when I went to college to meet new people. It was a source for a group of friends and companions as I moved to new cities. I met both of my husbands at bridge. I presently earn a living teaching bridge to adults.

I can't think of any better gift I can give to today's children than to offer them the chance to learn and play bridge!

I hope that over the next few days I can make a case for others to pursue learning bridge for their children and grandchildren and ....who knows....for those young at heart....to pick up bridge for themselves.