NOTE: Several folks have been very kind in letting me know that seat ranges are a bit too broad. We put several schools together that normally sit together but it seems that a few would like to have the own, specific table. We’re going to try to accommodate this on Friday. This means that the seats will still be in the range we have specified but the tables will have a bit more prevision where there is a team with enough for a full table. Because of these requests, there will be some tables that will be combined and some of the “fractions of a full table” will be little bit away from the “main table group” we will still keep everyone close but the larger teams will need to be a little flexible on this. Our expectation is that ya’all will work it out and mix around.  Hey – make some new friends this year!

When you come in, tables should be labeled with the names of the schools with dedicated tables. In addition, there will be lists on the tables of those that paid for seats and those that did not since we are getting several complains from some parents worrying about parent’s “poaching” their seats. This is a family event – let’s all work together to make it fun for the kids

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We have completed the table assignments for everyone that requested Seats in advance. They are listed in alphabetical order. A bit of explanation is needed here…..

There are Team Seats are on the 3rd and 5th Floors. Please check the map providing in the last email everyone received last night to see where your table is located. There are multiple areas on the 3rd floor so check your map. If you can’t get to the map in the email, we will have copies available from the greeters in Red Caps when you arrive. Please feel free to go to your seat and relax – so long as your child is in playing room before 8am.

If there is not an entry next to your school name, no team seats were purchased.

Many schools are in a RANGE OF TABLES. This is because we have grouped several schools together at their request. In some cases, there are several schools at a single table because smaller schools did not have enough to get a whole table.

If you do NOT have a table assigned, you must wait until AFTER ROUND 1 STARTS to get one. After your child is seated and playing, we will turn our support to doing our best to find you a seat.

Click on this LINK to download the list of assignments.TEAM SEAT ASSIGNMENTS.xls

Maps of the site are:

ChessTournament3rdFloor

ChessTournamen5thFloor

ChessTournament4thFloor

David and I have been getting a lot of emails lately about folks wanting to register after the deadline. While we cannot accept anyone at this time, we do want to acknowledge the accomplishments of the kids that qualified.

We do have one event open – BUGHOUSE. you can just walk on up and play. This gives the kids the ability to play some chess and, if they have qualified for State, we will give them an official State Championship Qualifier Trophy (it’s not a HUGE trophy, but it is a trophy). You need to come on site (at the Tacoma Convention Center) before 6:00pm and pay $25. Trophies for Qualifiers will be awarded at the end of the event (approx8:30pm)

We realize this is not the best but we will do everything we can to acknowledge our kids’ accomplishments.

SEATS

For those that have not yet ordered seats, remember that there are very few spaces  for Camp Chairs allowed the center this year. If you have not received a table assignment, please wait until AFTER ROUND 1 and go to the Info Desk at that time. Our most important priority is to make sure that players are in their seats and playing chess. After that, we will assign tables.

If you are waiting for a table assignment, please make sure your child knows where to meet you. You will NOT be allowed to wait by the tournament doors for your children. The 5th floor in front of the playing area must be kept clear and available for Vendors and traffic.  Please make sure that you arrange a place to met your child after they finish the first round.

Registration for the event is CLOSED. There are no add, changes or modifications allowed to the player roster at from this point forward (with the exception to report an incorrect school code) – the deadline for that is WEDNESDAY).

For those that did not order wristbands, they can be purchased at the door for the same price as online. We will have staff available on the 1st and 3rd floors to help you.

If you did not order a SEAT, we will be selling seats for $5 each after Round 1 starts. Until then, there will be a “holding area” that you can stay in temporarily until the First Round starts so we can get the round started.

We will be sending an email out to all players before the event with more information to help you orient properly and have a great day.

A bunch of folks have been writing about seating at State. I want to thank everyone for your patience as we try this new system to let EVERYONE have a “seat at the big table”   To make everything fair for those that follow the rules (order early), there will be VERY LIMITED “Camp Chair” space available – they will only be allowed in a single room downstairs. DO NOT PLAN ON USING THEM. There is very little space left after the changes we have made for everyone’s comfort. You can keep them in the car nearby if you like, but more likely we may not be allowing them in until after Round 1 finishes so that we can get everyone seated and the event moving. That means it will be STANDING ROOM ONLY unless you make arrangements for seating.

We have also made special accommodations for Kindergarten parents to be available for their kids (see a later post) and many more placed to get FOOD so the lines will be smaller. This reduces the amount of seating for everyone else so we will be moving things around to accommodate everyone. All of this is to be able to let YOU know BEFORE you arrive where you will be seated as a SCHOOL.

Finally, we have noticed that the total number wristbands purchased is 50% less than the number of seats purchased. This tells us that either people are expecting to come and are not purchasing the wristbands (and you will have a VERY difficult time getting seated in the morning) OR people are “saving seats” like we do in church. It seems as if several schools are not taking the time to properly plan what they need and are just “throwing out a number”. This was not the plan. We avoided charging a LOT per seat but there are a few schools that are abusing the system. We will be fixing that next week to make sure it is fair to all. PLEASE, request what you need – PLAN for your school. Do not make your lack of planning someone eles’ problem. It’s not fair to others that do.

If you have already registered but did not reserve a seat, just go back to the registration page HERE and order the extra seats you need. The button says “SUBMIT” but just click through that (it is being changed to “Continue” shortly). To see how many seats/wristbands/lunches you previously ordered, just click to the LAST page. You will not be “recharged” for anything you already ordered. Just enter the number of seats you want to add and it will calculate the difference and bill you via PayPal.

We have just sent every player that is currently registered with us, the first of several emails providing important information regarding the 2011 State Championship. There are a few players that have put incorrect email addresses in their registration.

If you registered before April 11th and have NOT received an email from us, please contact me at rick.jorgensen@gmail.com so we can get the information to you. If you have changed your email address since you registered for State, please update your information so we can continue to provide you important information.

Thanks for helping us communicate better!!

This year, I get that question a lot. Everywhere I go, parents ask me “why are you charging SO MUCH for State when it only costs <$20 for a regular competition. You must make a lot of money!

This is a fair question if you have never been involved in putting State on. The reality is that every year, we run dangerous close to LOSING money unless the right number of kids show up.

What people don’t think about is that it costs us over $18,000 to rent the Convention Center and the trophy bill alone is more than $12,000. That doesn’t include things like Security, Insurance, Payment Processing Fees, Boards, Clocks, a paramedic on stand-by (kind of important with that many people), and a dozen other incidentals that add up (Did you know that the sound system cost $4,000 to rent?). When you add it all up, it costs between $40-50K to hold the over 8000 people that come to enjoy the day.

Compare that to the costs of a tournament that you hold at your school where the cost for the facilities is free or <$1000, you don’t need security, a sound system …. you get the idea.

When you add it all up, if the event makes a profit, it is only about 5% of the total revenue. What if it loses money? You guessed it — the people organizing it get to write a check, from their own bank account.

Why does anyone do this? The answer is simple – for the Kids.

This year, the Mountlake Terrace Spring Fling is hosting a section for those top players that wish serious competition with long time controls. We have spoken to a number of top rated players at all grade levels and there is a significant amount of interest in creating a section that provides that serious level of challenge and provides an opportunity to improve their USCF Rating. For more details, check out the Detailed Page HERE.

Hey everyone!

Make sure you register for the 2011 State Elementary and Middle School Championships! Both will be at the Tacoma Convention Center this year (same place as last year).

In Middle School, there is no qualifier required. Just signup at HERE and select the section that works best for you. We have had a few questions about the format and dates so make sure to check out www.middleschoolchess.com for more 411.

For Elementary, we want EVERYONE to come! Obviously, everyone that qualifies should be there(it is STATE after all)  but we also want the same great experience for those that are “close to qualifying” or have a sibling that is playing. Please consider I Love Chess 2! They are playing along side the other kids this year to join in the fun. (They get smaller trophies but hey! They have a great time!)

Please make sure you sign up early before the prices go up on March 1st!

To make it super easy for you, here is a link, just click and join us!

For more detailed information, just click on the link that says “2011″ on this page. There is TONS of info that explains everything about the event.

I’ve been organizing events for kids for a few years now and have come to the conclusion that Scholastic Chess is much more than “Kids Playing Chess”.  In addition to learning how to play a board game, Chess is also about sportsmanship, fair play, individual achievement, team contribution, learning to win, learning to lose, being our best, learning from our mistakes and learning to “be our own advocate”. It’s this last item I want to touch on.

[NOTE: The following does not apply to very young children (Kindergarten). Some would argue that 1st grade falls into this category but let's leave that for a different discussion.]

When I coach my clubs, I do my best to teach kids all of the above but most importantly, to be responsible for their own results. I’m always amazed that when you have the chance to let a child be accountable and EXPECT IT, they will (9 times out of 10) raise to the occasion and give us, as parents, the opportunity to praise and reward them.

When a child plays in a tournament, we expect THEM to be accountable for the results and to make sure they are properly recorded. We do this for a couple of reasons. Most importantly – THEY own the result. We teach them that they can stand up for themselves if something is wrong and work things out (yes, with supervision). I’m never more proud when 2 kids are having a disagreement over something and they have the chance to work it out themselves. Almost every time, they come to the right decision and feel proud that they resolved it themselves.

As parents, we naturally want to be their advocate and support them. We have a very important job in this respect; however, we also have to provide a place for them to stand up for themselves and be accountable for taking (or not taking) action. If something is wrong (and yes, sometimes mistakes happen), we need to use the mistake as a way of helping them recognize issues and take the right actions. By allowing our kids to do this themselves, we do them a far greater service than getting a point in an event, we teach them how to stand up for themselves.

As parents, we need to encourage our kids to be responsible for their own issues on the chess floor and support the advocacy of themselves. We need to find those teachable moments and let them rise and fall. We must stand behind them but let them know that it’s their job – not ours – to address concerns.  THAT is a gift that is more valuable than any trophy.