Young players and women in Checkers

[kim willis]

You all talk about the young in checkers. Who promotes takes maybe 1 young person and helps them learn this game. How about the women in checkers also. How many of you have helped a woman learn this game? I wouldn't throw a young youth in the midst of the masters. I in the past have seen being a woman having no respect come from masters. I worked hard to learn on my own what I do know. Which might not be as much as many of our masters. But I never back down to play a National or any state tournaments because I feel I now can give maybe someone a good fight.
For the youth, I have been promoting for the past 5 yrs. Everyday I talk about checkers. I in the past week at my job for instance have found 1 10yr old boy who wants to learn the game. I gave him a beginner board and red and white checkers. I have started giving him lessons. I just wrote down games like The Old 14, Cross and a few other games. But I have planted a seed. His first lesson is learning Old 14.

I also had a 2nd grader from Maryland write me, He said he wanted to learn to play and grow up and be like me. I wrote him back and also sent him a beginner board and red and white checkers. This is what it is all about. And with women we have struggled many years to get respect. I believe that everyone in the checker community should be respected not only the masters.

If we talk youth we need to encourage not discourage.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

I in the past have seen being a woman having no respect ... respect ... I believe that everyone in the checker community should be respected

Kim, what does it mean "respect" and what disrespect you experienced ? And from whom ?

[ae_ted]

!!!!!!! Alex look back over the years at the posts you have made here about Jan, and women and even youth. Your track record is there to see. Your comments about the prize money being more for the master class than the others clearly shows where your respect is. I remember what acf did to Client after he put time and sweat into this very website. ACF does not have a very great record with youth and women in the last 10 or 15 years that I have witnessed.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

!!!!!!! Alex look back over the years at the posts you have made here about Jan, and women and even youth. Your track record is there to see. Your comments about the prize money being more for the master class than the others clearly shows where your respect is. I remember what acf did to Client after he put time and sweat into this very website. ACF does not have a very great record with youth and women in the last 10 or 15 years that I have witnessed.

Ted, I am treating everyone evenly. There is no so-called woman or youth players for me, there are colleagues - checkers players, there are friends and buddies (any gender and age). There are also people whom I respect or disrespect personally, thats it.

Woman and youth checkers as movement doesn't exist in our fraternity. This is just a fact which we have to accept and it is not my fault. Why so - it is a question to Federations, not to me.

I came to Anglo-American Checkers from different form of game (Russian Draughts and 10x10) where things are operated differently and much more professional and successful. Many of my attempts to improve things here were failed and today my activity, etnhusiasm and optimism are dropping. Maybe someone else can do it better.

Today mainly I feel myself only responsible for keeping respect to the game itself and title I owe. I continue working on checkers keeping my level and trying to improve. But even here my motivation is low because only few people do the same, other are talking about promotion.

If I were a webmaster of this forum, I would setup a penalty for everyone who uses the word "promotion", lets say $5 for keeping forum membrship. These hundreds (thousand ?) dollars can be use by ACF for good

Indeed ACF didn't do all best, but at least I don't see any other World or National Federation which does better or even at the same level. Before we start doing something for imporvement, we have to look around and say honestly what we have and what needs to be done.

In reality - we have to start checkers over.

Respectfully,

AM

[bugs]

.............Happy Trails to all.

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Alex, I truly hope that I have misread your comments about women and respect.

Dear Vonda,

I can confirm that personally I certainly do not respect some people but this has nothing to do with "group disrespect".

Across board I am working hard to win against ANY opponent. Playing in Russia I drew and lost many games to woman (best of them ) and certainly do not have any doubts about their skills and abilities.

But I also continue to say that there is no "woman checkers" or "youth checkers" in Anglo-American checkers. Several only players are not counted and there is no movement. There are no regular National and World events and I don't see any Federation attempts to improve things on this field.

Since 2002 I always stated that woman and youth titles must be given from regular separate independent events. Giving title to the "best scored" woman or youth is a false, wrong solution which only puts smog and creates an illusion that we are doing something.

Federations must be more honest to say: "Sorry guys, my fault, I am doing nothing"

[bugs]

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[bugs]

Hey Alex......... Your my pal.... No worries here my friend..C U in March in Tennessee.......

[tommyc]

Once again Alex..............your right.And im not joking this time.!!!!

[Pedro Saavedra]

But I also continue to say that there is no "woman checkers" or "youth checkers" in Anglo-American checkers. Several only players are not counted and there is no movement. There are no regular National and World events and I don't see any Federation attempts to improve things on this field.

The question is whether this is a virtue or a flaw. Having come from American chess (I was president of a state chess federation 40 years ago and played until recently) I am used to titles for women, youth, students, seniors, and many other categories. I like that. It makes as much sense as having titles based on geography (e.g. state titles). As a soccer fan I enjoy watching not only the World Cup, but the Women's World Cup, the under 20, etc. There is one cheap prize which can help promote the game, and that is titles. I agree with those who say we should have scholastic tournaments and women's tournaments and county championships and so forth.

The prizes need not be money. One good practice is the money going to the top players, and the pther prize winners get a book (I'll even suggest one by you, autographed, for which the tournament organizers can pay the fair price). Making the distinction has notheing to do with considering anybody equal or not. It has to do with marketing.