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BGonline.org Forums
Hotel rooms for college players coming to the Chicago Open
Posted By: Phil Simborg In Response To: Hotel rooms for college players coming to the Chicago Open (Joe Russell)
Date: Friday, 13 May 2011, at 12:51 a.m.
All of these different ideas and offers to help defray the costs for students are very exciting to see. While there will always be some disagreement on what is the best way to help encourage new blood, you have to respect everyone who is at least willing to do something about it and put their money and efforts into this as opposed to just blowing hot air and telling others what they should and shouldn't do. The truth is, all of these ideas help and can't hurt.
Today I received a check for from my niece and nephew so that we could buy a bunch of boards to give to high school and elementary students. Many people have donated to this program and it certainly will get more people playing backgammon for many years to come.
Supporting the USBGF with your membership and donations is also a major way to support the growth of backgammon. For those who think membership should be free, don't join--enjoy this site and other free sites. But membership in the USBGF is not just about the benefits you get and the ability to access the web site and newletter, it helps fund our college programs and many other programs that are clearly going to help the game flourish. We are just beginning to see the fruits of the investment. Again, to those who don't think we should be paying for membership or contributing, how would we be able to award scholarships to the collegiate winners; how would we be able to maintain the web site and do the marketing and promotion that we do?
For those who do not have the funds to donate or pay for memberships, you can help grow the game by being a positive influence in your community---everyone lives near a school and either knows someone or can find someone in a school that you can talk to about starting a backgammon club. And everyone can donate a little of their time to teach kids how to play, or you can go to your nearest rest home and teach seniors to play, or offer to teach a backgammon class at your local YMCA or JCC.
But one thing I ask of everyone is that if you are not going to be part of the solution, at least don't be a negative force. Don't belittle or criticize people who are trying to do some good just because you don't like their ideas or the way they are doing it, or because you don't believe it's right to help pay for entry fees, or because you don't happen to like the person who is doing the work or making the positive suggestions.
It is no secret that Rory and I have had our disagreements in the past, and it's no secret that we are not friends, but I have great respect for his efforts to help support bringing new players into the game. And not just for his tournaments. A while back when I set up a dinner for 22 elementary school kids to come with their parents to a famous Chicago Restaurant and also play some backgammon, Rory showed up to help teach the kids and help pay for the dinner.
So my thanks to all of you for the support you have given the Collegiate Program of the USBGF--especially to the 22 volunteers we have around the country that have offered to give freely of their time to coach the individual clubs and teams--and to all of you who volunteer in the future as this program grows and we see a lot more young people at our tournaments in years to come.
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