Patty for Youth Bridge

North American Youth Bridge Symposium

2011-04-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

Chris Shaw and I are hosting a North American Youth Bridge Symposium on April 11th in Gatlinburg. 9:00 a.m. at the Edgewater Hotel we will meet with youth bridge teachers and organizors from all over the country to discuss youth bridge and create our 'wish list' of support we need to make, and keep, our programs successful.

Everyone please join us if you are in Gatlinburg and share your ideas!

Communicate and Push Forward

2010-03-28T02:22:00.000-07:00

If you thought I'd dropped off the face of the earth...you we're just about right. After my last post I decided where to go...and I've been doing it.

A Yahoo Group has been established called Bridge Teachers for Youth http://groups.yahoo.com/group/btfy/. Anyone interested in Youth bridge is welcome to join, please feel free to pass the information and link along.

Just like the Bridge Teachers for Youth web site I created www.btfy.org, it is a group where youth bridge teachers can join and solicit help with problems, receive information about new projects and upcoming events, ask questions, bounce ideas and just find a broad shoulder to cry on if needed.

My non-profit Atlanta Junior Bridge has finished the 9 Week Middle School Curriculum we've been working on. The 550+ page curriculum is built for 9 weeks of 45 minute classes. It includes lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes, tests, practice hand records and instructions to run a duplicate game at the end of the course. It was created by an AJB teacher and his (retired school teacher) wife, with input from another AJB teacher and myself.

This was built to fit into the 'spots' I've been told all Middle Schools have called many different things Enrichment courses, Electives, Connection courses and probably many other names.

A week ago Friday I had a 'Teach Kids Bridge' seminar with many of the social and duplicate players I teach. The first portion was talking about how to teach bridge, how to teach kids bridge and the differences/problems they might encounter. The second portion was about this curriculum and the help AJB needed to get the curriculum into the hands of the Board(s) of Education for approval.

BridgeAtSchools http://www.bridgeatschools.org/ is interested and plans to partner with AJB in getting things started.

If any of you know of anyone who might be interested in the curriculum or the project...please pass the info along. AJB plans to offer this (free of course)to anyone who can use it as soon as we field test it a little and I finish linking all the individual files and creating a pdf.

My next several posts will probably be about the method I use to get the curriculum approved and ideas about funding the project long term.

What have we got going for us?

2010-01-08T05:26:00.000-08:00

What advantages does the US have in promoting and creating an organized youth bridge effort.

Technology ... a huge advantage! I don't remember the exact numbers but in the US we have more computers and internet access in one major city than some countries have. Young, old and in-between e-mail and internet have become commonplace. Even my aunts in their 70's are computer literate as well as my 9 year old grandson. If we can contact all the people teaching bridge to kids; we do have a way to communicate information and help.

Sheer numbers. We have 160,000+ bridge players....all interested in engaging and involving youth in bridge. Included in those numbers are not only duplicate bridge players; but also parents, grandparents, friends and social bridge players.

Resources. Almost every ACBL district, unit and club is willing to support (in some way) youth efforts in their area. ACBL has funded School Bridge Lesson Program which offers some financial and physical support to individual teachers.

Dedication. There are at least 23 areas that have organized their local bridge players into providing a concerted effort to teach children bridge and provide them opportunities to play. I'm sure there are more I haven't found as yet.

With so many advantages...why can't we make this work?

Where Next?

2010-01-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

So what's next for Youth Bridge? Where do we go from here?

We know that learning bridge is good for kids academically and socially. We know that parents who learn bridge (or who already know how to play bridge) can find a new way to relate to their children in an intellectual and adult setting through bridge. We know that young players enjoy the chance for competition and travel that bridge brings them.

How do we match the child who wants to add playing bridge to his accomplishments with the opportunity to learn?

In the United States we have advantages and disadvantages to accomplish this goal. The single biggest disadvantage is geographic. The fact that many single states in the US are larger than most European countries creates an almost insurmountable problem for teachers trying to organize events, share information and communicate.

The ACBL has a web site for young players www.youth4bridge.org and the ACBL Education Department has a funded School Bridge Lesson program to provide some financial and material assistance for bridge players who teach youth classes. I have a website called Bridge Teachers for Youth www.btfy.org where I've tried to provide information and links to curriculums, tools and resources; but this is not enough. Even here in Atlanta we have our own set of geographic problems simply from the fact that with 14 working teachers, we still can't provide classes in every geographic area in Metro Atlanta. What we can do is provide physical support, supplies, training, and communication to our teachers; and learning and playing opportunities to our students.

How can we do that Nationwide?

The next several posts will look at some of our advantages and how we might get them to work for us.

What Happened?

2009-11-12T02:34:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons we had so (relatively) few youngsters taking up bridge in the 70's, 80's and 90's was that their parents didn't learn and play bridge. Why not? Why did the most popular game in in the 50's and 60's start to lose it's popularity?

I think it was when every family had TV and then later video games, cable TV and computers. In the 30's and 40's very few families had TV's and even then there were at most 2 stations and in black and white. Reception was bad, limited programming etc. So TV didn't change people's options for entertainment all that much in the beginning. Families still relied on dinner parties, charades, family games for entertainment and socializing. Bridge (being such a fantastic game and perfect for inviting over another couple) was a big part of that social life.

Then came along color TV, more programming options and more TV stations. All of a sudden people could spend the evening watching TV in the comfort of their own home. Not only was it new, after the purchase of the TV, it was inexpensive and they didn't have to dress up and go out! This resulted in less instances of adults coming over to visit, having dinner and then playing cards....with the kids in the house looking over their shoulders to see what was going on and occassionally even play dummy.

By the 70's when video games and cable TV came along with even more entertainment options and then add computer games to the mix in the 90's...we were faced with a huge struggle to interest people in a card game!

The trend is changing though. Cable TV, video games and computers aren't 'new' anymore; they've lost part of their appeal. Youngsters (and adults) are looking for other ways to spend their leisure time. Families are looking for opportunities to spend time together. Fresh opportunities to challenge their mind and to display their intelligence and skill.

I know of only one game you never master. One game that presents new challenges, situations and puzzles every time you sit down to play.

You guessed it - Bridge!

The Youth North American Bridge Championship

2009-11-11T03:52:00.000-08:00

The Youth NABC has become an annual fixture during the summer. 2008was in Atlanta. 2009 in Washington DC. 2010 is scheduled for New Orleans July 29th - 31st.

Young players from all over the world come to spend three days making new friends, seeing players that they might never have a chance to meet otherwise and enjoying the thrill of competition.

$1000 college scholarships are offered to the winners of the two major events and a Sportsmanship trophy and scholarship is given to the winner, who is elected by the young players.

I love to play bridge and I always hope to win; but like these youngsters the best part of bridge is seeing my friends, hanging out, catching up on their lives and making new friends.

One thing bridge offers (that I don't find anywhere else) is the opportunity to make friends with people from other parts of the North American and even other countries! There are a few people I only see three times a year, when I go to the NABC's, but I look forward to seeing them each and every time. I have ten days to talk and visit and enjoy every moment of their company.

I hope they feel the same about seeing me.

Their First Game

2009-11-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

The first Saturday of every month Atlanta Junior Bridge has a sanctioned duplicate bridge game just for young players. One of the clubs donates their space, one of our teachers donates his time to direct and a local bridge organization pays the sanction fees.

We teach classes over the Metro Atlanta area and many of our students don't have an opportunity to see the other young players very often. We want to give the kids who have been playing a few years a chance to see their friends, play a game and generally just visit with each other. This also gives the new students coming along an opportunity to meet some of the more experienced youngsters, play in a game and learn about deportment, rules and how a game 'works'; all in a comfortable non-threatening environment.

I can't say enough nice things about the more experienced kids who come and play every 1st Saturday and welcome and encourage these new players.

This last Saturday's five table game was attended by two new players who had never played in a game and knew only one of the other players(a school mate). They were understandably nervous; new people, a new experience, only a few months of bridge and their bridge teacher wasn't able to be there. When I welcomed them and asked their names, they spoke so softly I could barely hear them.

Well, they came into the game and by about the third round they were talking, laughing and making friends. They plan on continuing their classes and are coming to the next game. The attitude of our existing players towards these newcomers determined what kind of experience they had - as it turned out, a great one!

By the way, the newcomers came in 1st in the beginner flight and won masterpoints!

What Would Your Choice Be?

2009-11-05T03:53:00.000-08:00

While I think that bridge is a great pasttime for kids, there are a few people who disagree. One of the most common comments I hear from people opposed to the idea of kids playing bridge is "These kids should be out playing". I know that they are thinking of a childhood that was much like mine. Playing from sun-up to sundown in the neighborhood with eight or ten other kids, moving from yard to yard as the mood strikes. Front yard baseball and football. Swimming, Neighborhood Olympics and chasing fireflies at night. That sounds wonderful doesn't it? Idyllic almost.

Well that's not typical anymore. Children today are much more restricted by parents who have legitimate safety concerns. They have music lessons, many afterschool activities, and tons more homework. Their leisure activity is more more likely to be computer games, video games and television than it is to be tag in the front yard. Most of the adults I teach bridge to talk about arranging 'play dates' for their youngsters so that they can socialize with other children.

I'm for organized sports for children. I love to watch kids play baseball, basketball, soccer and football. Yes, they do get a chance to 'visit' with their teammates in practice and on the sidelines. Bridge however has three advantages;
1) They will meet other children outside of their normal circle of school and neighborhood
2) Bridge is safe. A safe environment and physically safe
3) They can play bridge forever. They will never be faced with not being chosen for the team, or not good enough for first string. Yes, in bridge some players are better than others, but everyone regardless of skill level can enjoy it

Children have much less time to just 'be' with other kids. Would you rather your child play a video game or play a game with a bunch of other kids? Play a game that improves their mind or Watch TV? Play a game on the computer or talk, cut-up and laugh with other kids?

My choice would be Bridge.

Does Bridge have any Academic Value?

2009-11-03T05:19:00.000-08:00

I could write a treatise on the academic value your child will gain by learning bridge. But since I've promised to keep each blog short and sweet, hitting the high points only...here we go!

Chris Shaw did a study on the effect learning bridge had on students standardized test scores. In his area the schools use the Iowa Test of Basic Skills where the students take the test at the beginning of the year and then in subsequent years to judge (by the increase in their test scores) how much the children have learned over the course of the school years. He took six math classes (not special classes, not special students, just regular classes)and taught one class Bridge. In that first year, the students who learned bridge scored anywhere from 6% to 14% higher across the board than the students who did not learn bridge. You numbers people can find the complete study at
http://btfy.org/documents/Shaw%20BRIDGE%20AND%20TEST%20SCORES.pdf

This study probably reflects all those mathematical skills you hone when you play bridge like; Numbers and Operations, Data Analysis,
Probability, Algebra, Problem Solving and Reasoning and Proof.

Not to mention those 'soft' mental and social skills like; Partnership, Teamwork, Communication and Operating Within a Set of Rules.

Is their any other activity your child participates in that can offer THAT?

Let's talk more about Opportunities

2009-11-02T03:11:00.000-08:00

In my previous post I touched upon the small expense of playing bridge vs other activities your child might engage in.

What I didn't mention were the presently available scholarships and awards your child might become eligible for if they learned and became proficient in bridge. All of these have guidelines you have to follow in order to become eligible, but here they are in a thumbnail sketch:

1)$500 College scholarships for High School students who form a bridge club in their school and teach beginning bridge
2) $1000 College scholarships for winning the Youth North American Bridge Championship Pair or Team event held each summer
3)$1000 College scholarship for the Sportsmanship Award given out at the Youth NABC each year
4) $1000 College Scholarship for the King/Queen of Bridge Award which is given to a graduating High School senior each year
5)Youth and Junior Ambassador award for ACBL young members who exemplify high standards of conduct and sportsmanship
6)Collegiate Championships with associated $500 scholarships for them to participate in the National Collegiate event held each summer
7) Membership in the Junior Teams which competes in Championship events held by the World Bridge Federation and FISU. The US Bridge Federation holds competitions to chose the teams which will compete and sponsors the qualifying teams. These are held all over the world, so provide an opportunity for international travel and the chance to meet young players from other countries.
What great opportunities all this presents!

Bridge and Your Family

2009-10-30T03:51:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-10-28T03:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-10-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

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.