It's just a week until I fly to Israel to begin what should be an amazing three week odyssey. There is so much to do and prepare for. I feel fortunate to be coaching such a talented group of young men and women. I have already been able to meet four in person.
This is a very strong group of chess players, much different than the beginners I teach. Many of the team are stronger and more accomplished players than me. One of our players beat a world class grandmaster over the board! I hope to learn from my players and hopefully they can learn from me. I will try and be the eyes and ears for them and help them with their preparation. Many of them have trainers that they will skype with.
I hope I can be a positive influence on the team and help the players in any way I can. Happily, there are no playing time decisions for me to make. The chess competition is a large Swiss system tournament where we add up the scores of our players, so it's primarily individual but I will stress that every point is precious. Even in a hopeless situation, you must continue to try and salvage whatever you can for the good of the team.
No comments:
Post a Comment