| |
BGonline.org Forums
Backgammon/Schools/Gambling
Posted By: Rich Munitz In Response To: Backgammon/Schools/Gambling (Phil Simborg)
Date: Tuesday, 1 February 2011, at 3:32 p.m.
Michael's original statement:
IMHO, The future growth of Backgammon doesn't lie in the creation of Federations, promoting Online or Real Life tournaments, teaching backgammon to High School students, or selling books, creating bots or using Backgammon to gamble.
Where does it lie? It lies in the homes across the globe. It is called "The Family".
My initial impulse when reading this was much like Phil's. It is natural to be defensive when you invest so much time and effort in something.
But Michael is correct, he didn't actually say or mean what we might have come away feeling. I clearly see now that he was saying something which many have said that is analogous: "The key to best educating our children does not lie with better schools, but rather with better homes - parents that foster a culture of learning with their children, who are engaged with what they are doing, who are supportive and enabling.".
In many parts of the world where backgammon is not at all organized, it is hugely popular exactly because of how it is ingrained in the home and social culture. I think we all can agree this should be a goal here in North America. Where we may differ is how to get there. In my own family, I have three children and only one of them has any interest in playing backgammon. The other two cannot be bothered. Yet I have no doubt that if they were taught the game in an environment with their friends, it would be a whole different situation. Then, like learning academically in school, they could come back home and find a supportive, enabling environment for backgammon as well.
I agree with Phil that there are perceptions to overcome and there are places where those perceptions are not limiting factors. I am aware of two backgammon programs associated with grade schools in the New York City area. There are plenty of schools and teachers out there and so we make inroads where the reception is warmer. It is always easier to sell to the skeptics once you can point at other success stories. Again, the message to kids is never "here's how you gamble", but rather "here's a challenging, yet exciting game of skill and strategy that teaches you skills useful in the real world". We teach children Chemistry in school, and some people take that knowledge and make drugs and bombs. But nobody is suing the schools because they are training drug lords and terrorists. We teach and encourage our children to play sports even though there is a huge sports betting industry. In addition to developing guidelines, and courses for teaching backgammon and running clubs at schools, an organization like the USBGF would be well served as suggested to work out canned responses like these and others, for when backgammon is challenged as a "shady gamblers dice game". Maybe documentation should be developed to be sent home with the children to inform parents about the program and extol the positive side and many benefits of this game. Marketing, marketing, marketing.
| |
BGonline.org Forums is maintained by Stick with WebBBS 5.12.