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Grass roots development needed

Posted By: Rich Munitz
Date: Tuesday, 6 October 2009, at 2:39 p.m.

In Response To: Factors for Tournament Attendance 3 (David Rockwell)

David, you are dead on with the conclusion that backgammon needs grass roots development in the schools, after school activities, etc. And that children's events at major tournaments is window dressing and really not the solution. Exposure to the children of parents who are already avid backgammon players is not our problem. New blood is our problem, and how to siphon off even a tiny percentage of the time children spend watching television and playing video games.

I would have no problems having teenage kids all over the country getting together for a consulting chouette. Give them each a stack of chips, play "table stakes" and see who can bankrupt all the others. How's that different from playing Monopoly? Let anyone that's out of chips continue to consult on the team to keep them involved. Sounds like a great way to spend an evening to me.

My conclusion has always been that such grass roots development programs can only come out of the efforts of a national Backgammon federation that can raise funds, create programs, lesson plans, marketing materials etc. and "sell it" and roll it out en masse. While helpful, it is not going to happen because a single teacher in some school decides to expose a few children to the game. Many teachers may be willing but lack the knowledge and so the "program" needs to be shrinkwrapped and handed to them in a box.

I personally would be happy to be a participant in such an effort, but I am not willing to be the organizer, driver, fundraiser, etc. Someone needs to step up and do it. Or someone who loves the game and has deep pockets needs to pay someone else to do it full time. I'll give my support and time and creative energies.

Rod Covlin started to get such an effort off the ground early this year and actually created a US Backgammon Association not-for-profit with some good ideas and all the right intentions, and then suddenly found his life take a turn off the road into a ditch. Perhaps this will resurrect at some point, or perhaps someone else will have the same passion and time and be willing to pick up the mantle. I hope so. We need it.

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