Fall Classes and Clubs are in Full Swing

By Lynn Johannesen

SiVY offers many opportunities for young people to learn to play bridge and play against other students, but many players want to find additional ways to enjoy bridge with their friends and improve their bridge skills. School bridge clubs are one way to meet those goals.

In its seventh year of offering school programs, SiVY supports bridge clubs at seven local high schools and four middle schools. Another middle school and an elementary school program will both be starting soon.

Students see many benefits to their participation in these clubs. Although having fun with friends is the greatest benefit for most, some have suggested that learning to focus at the bridge table has helped them focus in other contexts. Others hope that a bridge club membership will help to set them apart on their college applications, especially if they have played leadership roles in the club.

Even though entertainment and interacting with friends are major reasons for players to participate, most are also quite interested in refining their skills. One motivator for doing so is the annual Bay Area High School Championship, which offers cash-value prizes as well as ACBL masterpoints and trophies for high-ranking participants. Monta Vista High School won the first team championship, and Palo Alto High School won for the next three years. In 2019, Lynbrook High School captured its first team title, and Monta Vista finished second. Students interested in participating in the 2020 High School Championship should be sure to save the date: March 8, 2020.

High school players who don’t qualify for the team finals or who don’t have enough players to form a full team can play in a pair event in the afternoon of March 8, 2020. The Pairs Championship also offers cash-value prizes, ACBL masterpoints, and trophies. Players from a variety of Bay Area high schools have done well in the pair event over the past four years.

Middle school programs are also in full swing. RJ Fisher in Los Gatos has run each of SiVY’s seven years and Peterson Middle School in Sunnyvale and Graham Middle School in Mt. View are each in their sixth year. A more recent—and welcome—development is middle classes run by SiVY youth. One class has been offered for the past three years by Michael Hu and Arthur Zhou at an organization called “Silicon Valley Youth.” This year eight middle school students are participating.

If you are interested in forming a bridge club at your high school, SiVY can help! The rules for forming clubs vary from school to school, but most require that a student or students initiate the request, and most also require that the club have a faculty sponsor. This responsibility typically falls to the student leaders of the club. The students must also secure a space, usually a classroom, for the club to meet. In most cases, the club’s faculty sponsor will permit the club to meet in the sponsor’s classroom. Some clubs have met at lunchtime in the school cafeteria.

SiVY will provide supplies, such as bidding boxes and decks of cards and duplicate-style boards. It will also find an adult mentor for each club, if the students want one. Note that some high schools require that an adult be in a classroom as long as the doors are unlocked. Unless the faculty sponsor is willing to remain throughout the meeting, those clubs will require a mentor.

Mentors function not only as bridge teachers, but also as facilitators. For example, many deal and duplicate boards so that students at more than one table can play the same hands and compare their scores. Some mentors also volunteer to watch students play online, and offer tips to improve their play and bidding.

If you’d like help in forming a bridge club, please contact Cheryl Haines.