Checker School Program

[Pedro Saavedra]

No, there shouldn't be any discussions at all. We have to promote our form of game, we don't promote other mind games - GO, Bridge, Chess or other forms of draughts.

You speak as an ACF member, but how should an educator speak? Should not the educator be concerned about the cultural traditions of the students? In some American homes other versions are played, and to ignore that fact is to create a wedge between the generations. If I were a principal in an inner city school, I would be more inclined to support a progran that included Pool Checkers. In a predominantly Hispanic area, I would want Spanish Checkers dealt with.

I am not saying that ACF should promote the other games, but that our game should be presented as a game in a family of games which may include some in the student's family tradition. And I do believe that recognition of the other versions does not act in detriment of ours. Quite the contrary. Ten minutes to present, acknowledge and provide references to other versions can do wonders to get the support of any parents who play a different version.

Pedro

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Ten minutes to present, acknowledge and provide references to other versions can do wonders to get the support of any parents who play a different version.Pedro

Pedro, of course you right, 10 minutes for other forms is fine, maybe even 15. But we are talking now here about REGULAR TEACHING for many years how to study and play Anglo-American form of world game on traditional board.

For POOL checkers we need just another coach from Averican POOL Checkers Association or pool outstanding player / enthusiast.

FMJD promotes International Draughts on big board, WCDF & ACF should promote World Draughts on traditional Board.

[Danny_Alvarez]

Alex I liked the fact that you stated what you would like to happen and what you want to achieve. I hope it becomes a reality very soon. It would be great for checkers. I agree totally with the pyramid analogy you used. I think in order to achieve more at the top we need to look after the neglected bottom of the pyramid. If we do not do that it will be impossible to achieve the second.

I am really excited about what Kim is doing and trying to do. At the moment I have a lot of fear and other things that have held me back from doing exactly the same she is doing in America, here in Australia but Kim has inspired me to "jump in" so to speak. So I can see how corageous and committed she is and that gives me inspiration (at the moment the only thing holding me back is the sale of my business otherwise i would start today). The other reason why what Kim doing is exciting to me is because I can see that if we concentrate on the basics we can bring back our game to its former glory from the brink of extinction (in the australian case from total oblivion). By the way in checkers glory days the top players were professionals in the true sense of the word and did tours and had many sponsors. James Wyllie travelled to Australia in the 19th century to do exhibitions and his paycheck in that era would have been massive (not sure what the conversion to todays money would be but he was very very well paid)

What we should really do now is:
pool our resources to help Kim,
create a curriculum ,
establish a mentoring program where masters and grandmasters help those kids improve
fix all the little creases we have now in ACF and WCDF
but above all the most important thing we should all do is PULL IN THE SAME DIRECTION

the bickering and arguing that has been carrying on here must decrease dramatically. we are all different we can all have different opinions theres no need to expect everyone to think exactly as i do.

I see a bright future ahead if we implement these changes.... and we dont need millions of people, just 10 or 20 individuals with real passion

Cheers
Danny Alvarez

...... i have enjoyed this thread more than any other here in this forum I hope we can keep exchanging ideas respectfully.

[Alan Millhone]

Hello everyone:

I spoke with Kim today and told her my vision is that her school program becomes a 'pilot' program that other school educators will notice and want to asdopt. School administrators are most interested in ANYTHING that will improve overall student test scores............ Period.

Kim's program could be taught in other schools via live streaming,etc. She could teach from one spot and others could herp her in other locations around the USA and the globe as teachers, Checker/Draughts story tellers ,etc.

At present Kim needs Pike demo boards and lots of boards and pieces .

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation

[Irma Sierra]

I think what Kimmy is doing is the thing to do....checkers won't die because there are only 20 masters and they dont make money, anyway they are close to die too! (wink wink).... to get to be a master starting to study when you are 50, loving the game (remember the skill) for grown up people is to neglect other things, like work, family, home, etc., The ones that are masters now they already have the skill, no? the important is to love the game, to have fun and of course, to win....who wouldn't like to be a champ??, but not the money, I could count with the fingers of one hand the checker players that want to play for money.... those who live from a hobbie, let's say, golf, are very few, why? because they were born with the skill in first place, then they had the chance to show they were good, then wealthy parents to pay all the classes for them and send them to tournaments since they are kids and at the end, become a professional and earn the money......in few words, the dream of Kimmy is better than the dream of Alex, because maybe in those new kids that will start knowing the game of checkers there will be kids with skill, start studying, start going to tournaments, start winning and then become professionals.... maybe those kids will make money in the future, but...nah, not now, very few make money from a hobbie, isn't checkers a game? a hobbie????
I invite you all to be better players, but it doesn't have to take your dream out, enjoy the game, be proud if you win and more if you draw Alex or King and now Michelle, try to spare the love for checkers, try to teach somebody....but overall.....HAVE FUN!!!!!

[Danny_Alvarez]

Irma I hope that you do know that in the short time i've known you i respect and like you immensely.

But i think that people's dreams and aspirations are things we cannot qualify and someone's dream isn't better than somebody else's.

We all want to see our game do better.... and like i have been saying all along we are not enemies. It's like the tale of the elephant and the blind men, which i'm sure yáll (trying to sound american , yáll LOL) have heard b4. we are all concentrating in a small portion of the whole picture, all portions are important to make a whole.

What we all want is not mutually exclusive. Let's make a new years resolution that we will all pull together for the benefit of the game.

There's a scene in "Finding Nemo" (shoot me i got 2 young girls, this is one of our favourites) where Nemo's Dad is caught in a fishing trawler's net, and they convince all the fish in the net to pull down and when they all combine their strengh the net breaks. THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO my checkers brethren.

a big hug to all

D. Alvarez

[Irma Sierra]

You are more than right Danny....the dream of Kimmy isnt better than the dream of Alex, I made a mistake qualifying a dream, am sorry, i should say: the dream of Kimmy has more possibilities to become true, but Alex's dream is nice too, all the dreams are nice...

[kim willis]

Thanks irma and danny,
We all have had dreams but this is not dream. I can tell you all now this is reality. This is where I started dreaming. Then I thought why dream it get up and go make the dream come true. So that is what I have done. I am working on this program very hard. I may have to travel everyday but if it takes off as I hope it will then I will be happy.

I was at work this last week and a woman that has been following me came from Alaska and has left to go home. But she calls me a pioneer of checkers. I told her I was just a average player but I wanted to give my knowledge to whoever wanted to grasp it and run with it.

I but together a photo album for her for Xmas and told her brother it was all the places I had been. So it is off to Alaska. This is what it is all about.

kim

[kim willis]

This was a wonderful day. I went to the school and the 4th grade class was waiting for me. As I entered the room they all were excited. We had teachers and helpers come in to watch. I played all of them. I found many who were great prospects. These children had remembered from the last week many things and what they didn't remember we went over again.
I will not be going to the school till Jan 11th due to the holiday vacation but I put together packets for the kids. When I return to those kids we will be studying and playing checkers.

Merry Christmas everyone
kim

[tommyc]

Good on ya Kim.........Happy Xmas.

[Eric Strange]

I like what danny said about this being a piece of the puzzle and everyone in acf needs to pull together and cover them all to bring this game back.

1. I have been trying to get already hooked online players into playing tournaments and help them to learn the game better.

2. Kim is getting players who aren't hooked yet interested in this game.

3. Who is gonna be the next piece???

There are a lot more roles to be filled.......

I think what Kim is doing is great... what I fear is whether or not any of them get hooked... whether they are excited to do checkers over reading a book or doing math and nothing more. People who get hooked on this game are very competitive and need a constant challenge to keep interest especially with the rapid decline in being able to focus on things. What got my hooked was always being able to get my butt kicked by someone online and striving to be as good as them.

I believe these kids are too young to play at yahoo or Kurnik because of the rude behavior of people. But there are places that offer online games without chat or interaction with other players other than the game. i believe yahoo offers something like this that they used to call "yahooligans". Maybe all players from the school that Kim shows that is interested in signing up for private lessons from players that would like to show and play the kids online after Kims classes are done for that group of kids??? just throwing ideas on how to keep the interest with them. Anyone have any ideas for Kim on how to keep the interest active?


these kids are gonna wanna play their friends in halo and call of duty and games like it in a few years.... we need them all to wanna battle in checkers.

[tommyc]

Dream on Eric...............simple answer "there is no structure after Kim is done with em" end of draught player...period.

Structure is the problem in this game [there is none]plus hard headed top of the pile old croonies who refuse to change[there are plenty of them]

I remember i used to play LUDO when i ws young?? Ludo has no coaches either or no structure ,i dont play now!!!

[Danny_Alvarez]

I think these things have to be discussed and i know ( i am told everyday that there's no hope or point chatting about this) that things might seem bleak but i am not hurting anybody if i try to contribute in a small way.

Eric's point is a very valid one (it is so big it cannot be ignored) and unless we discuss things and attempt to capitalize on Kim's hard work, it will go to waste. so why not get wild and throw ideas, bounce them around till they get wild and give people that want to contribute a platform of posibilities from where they can work.

Regards,
D. Alvarez

[kim willis]

hello Danny,
I have nothing against eric and his ideas but.... I have to say I am starting with children not teenagers. I do not think that having a young child at the 4th grade level going on line and playing checkers is forming them in the right direction. For1. why discourage them when they play someone on line and then get tramatized by language.
My point is I am starting from the bottom here all ideas are greatly appreciated. This is good. But to say that when my progam is over then no players hmmm i think your wrong. I plan on working with these kids threw the summer and I hope to have a nice number of these kids to come to nationals. I then want to see all of your eyes when they come to play.

I will be posting pictures of my kids after first of the year so all of you can see just what is happening here. Every session I see another child wanting to learn. I see teachers coming in to watch. This is not just a short learning session this could be me doing this for a long time. I might even stop playing if this gets to big. Who knows... This is a passion,, and my love for the game.

kim

[Eric Strange]

Kim,

I discourage them playing online in places like yahoo and kurnik. I said a place like yahooligans would be a good place. where it is all young kids, no chat or user names. each player is randomly assigned an ID and just plays the game against other kids at about the same age online without being able to chat with them. this creates a good structured environment where they wont be discouraged or insulted. I am simply saying that without constant competition and being able to play with constant challenge and opponents that it is a real possibility most of them will fall into video games or other things of interest. This is a new era of people we are talking about and I know them well. In no way am I trying to discourage your efforts because I know only good can come of it. I do believe some of these kids will go on and keep playing. I am just trying to maximize the percentage. Even a lot of master level online players are starting to quit this game because the only challenge they have is the same handful of players everyday. I do wish you all of the luck in the world but definitely consider things that can make it better. I spend a lot of my time thinking of ways to make this game more popular.

Thank you,

Eric Strange