Bridge is a Family Affair
Duplicate bridge is one of the few competitive activities in which people of all ages can participate as equals. SiVY Bridge President Debbie Rosenberg knows this firsthand as she has had the pleasure of watching her son Kevin rise through the ranks of Junior Bridge. To provide this same opportunity for other parents and grandparents, Silicon Valley Youth Bridge (SiVY Bridge) and Club Director Will Watson have held two games to offer younger players an opportunity to get to know each other while sharing an evening with their family member.
To some, a parent/child duplicate may seem like just any bridge event. But there are several unique aspects:
- Ages 10 – 70. In bridge, age is just a number. Other than at a Youth event, when are there ever 8 to 10 players under the age of 18 in a single bridge game?
- Family fun. Kids, parents, grandparents can happily play together. This was our first game where every pair was related!
- Beginners and experts. Players ranged from first timers to a grand life master, all sitting side-by-side - an opportunity we have in bridge that no other sport offers.
At the first ever parent/child duplicate in June 2013, 8 tables competed.
Bo and Brent (12) Xiao play against Bill and Bolton (17) Bailey at the June 2013 parent/child game. For finishing second in Flight B at the January 2014 game, Bo Xiao earned the last fraction of a masterpoint he needed to become an ACBL Life Master. He was excited to be playing with his son Brent when he achieved that goal.
The 10 pairs at the January event also celebrated the achievements of Isha Thapa and Kevin Rosenberg, young locals who recently qualified to represent the United States in World Junior Team events this summer in Istanbul. Proud father, Mukund Thapa, says about his partnership with daughter Isha, “being able to spend so much time with my teenage daughter is beyond what words can describe. I believe this would be true for most fathers/mothers/grandfathers/grandmothers.”
Ken Tsunoda, a newcomer to duplicate bridge, reported that his son KC's first words as they left the January game were, "Can we do that again?" Ken learned to play bridge as a child and plays at family reunions and vacations. KC became interested because he wanted to participate with the rest of the family. When he learned about the bridge club at Fisher Middle School, KC immediately joined and has since gotten really excited about playing. Ken says of the game, “I think we will continue to learn and play together…it’s such a great father/son activity. (Bridge) gives us an opportunity to learn more about each other and work together as teammates and peers.”
SiVY Bridge and Will Watson plan to schedule another Parent-Child game at the Bridge Center. But another option is the Youth Friendly duplicate game on Sunday afternoons at 1PM every week. While this game is open to all ages, directors Will Watson and Claire Coleman especially welcome Parent-Child partnerships, Youth partnerships, and all who are young at heart, for some friendly competition. The regular entry fee is $8, and only $4 for youth players, including snacks!!
It's family against family, with everybody concentrating hard at the 5 table Parent/Child duplicate held in January.
Grandparents and parents looking for ways to connect with their young family members and entice them away from their iPods and their Game Boys should consider taking up bridge as a family activity. The youngsters may end up teaching them a few things, and that's a great feeling for everyone.
