The goals of this website include raising the standard of play and enhancing the sporting experience for everyone involved. "Raising the standard of play" means "to its highest potential" while "enhancing the sporting experience" implies, in part, that every child who wants to compete should enjoy the benefits of encouragement, education and the feeling of being a winner. Though these two notions might seem somewhat independent, they are really interrelated in a very fundamental way … they represent the two extremes of a vital and growing sport: its glorious apex and its broad and sound foundation.

For a sport to succeed … its organization must provide for several self-sustaining functions:

• the introduction of the largest practical number of initiates – this method of recruitment ensures that a goodly number of those with exceptional talents be included in the educational/developmental phase!
• the continuing education and encouragement of those recruits – if not merely for ethical reasons! Rather than leave these novices and their supporters to their own devices, the sport provides guidance to them … and benefits from their continued involvement … not doing so undermines the sport's credibility!
• the offer of different levels of competitive activity – this allows all enthusiasts the opportunity to gain a measure of success and validation, which tends to increase their degree of involvement.
• the recognition of the achievement – rewarding advancement by stages is both a continuing inspiration to all aspirants and an incentive for the recipient to work harder to reach the next level.

A sport who builds such a large and active group of devotees gains more than just wide participation. Firstly, it enjoys an improved degree of cultural importance … general recognition and interest along with what might be called 'political clout'! More support also means better finances, and the large number of participants also promises a proportionate number of volunteers to help in organization and operations.

Just as importantly, an increase in the average strength of the group of active competitors tends to propel the strength of its best and most talented upwards. The ambiguous challenge of mediocrity promotes ennui … the implicit threat of the gathering of younger and hungrier wolves necessitates ever higher levels of training and preparation for those at the head of the pack! Being a winner under such strenuous and trying circumstances means ever so much more – the honors gained required much more in quantity and quality of play. We might say …

Those individuals who are vying for the crown at the top of the hill are really only as high as the hill they are standing on.

There are five major casts in the above scenario: the players and their parents; organizers and school clubs, and chess teachers and coaches. Each group has a part to play, and the path to improvement is indicated — organization! The sharing of the ideas within and between organized groups must certainly lead to the development of effective solutions. The logical place to start is forming and strengthening an association of the largest, most influential and involved group — the parents!

What might such an organization do? A few useful services include: inventing, improving and coordinating tournament-side services; providing such amenities as information and support to newcomers; creating activities for younger siblings; working with teachers and coaches to develop an efficient system for the access, understanding, and use of available resources.

On the left side of this page, parents will find links to specific suggestions about how to get their organization started, some quick advice about how to start a club or to develop an existing club, and information on how to improve overall team strength.

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