How to Coach Chess Club for Kids?
October 23, 2017 9:14 AM Subscribe
I've volunteered to co-coach chess club at my son's elementary school. Neither of us have coached chess before, and we are not strong players. In general, we plan to follow the format that was used last year. I'm looking for advice to be the best coach I can be. More details below.
We plan on approximately 30 kids ranging from 2nd to 5th grade. I anticipate a range of ability. We will probably have brand new players who do not know how to set up the pieces. We should also have some players who will crack the top 10 for their age group at large school district matches.
We plan to meet up once a week after school in the library. Historically, this time was spent by pairing off students to play games. Game results are tracked by the coach with software to give the coach a sense of how the students are performing against each other. Coaches/parents circulate to help out with games as needed (for example, how to move pieces; general tactics/opening/closing advice; and refocusing distracted students). If we're lucky, we may have 4 adults for 30 kids.
I feel like the best improvement to the club would be figuring out to have some group lessons/presentations (instead of spending the entire time playing games with circulating advisers) -- but that seems like it would be tough given the range of abilities as well as my own lack of experience with coaching chess.
I did see this earlier question which has some advice on how I can help up my own game, which should help me be able to better help students.
Any advice you can offer would be great.
We plan on approximately 30 kids ranging from 2nd to 5th grade. I anticipate a range of ability. We will probably have brand new players who do not know how to set up the pieces. We should also have some players who will crack the top 10 for their age group at large school district matches.
We plan to meet up once a week after school in the library. Historically, this time was spent by pairing off students to play games. Game results are tracked by the coach with software to give the coach a sense of how the students are performing against each other. Coaches/parents circulate to help out with games as needed (for example, how to move pieces; general tactics/opening/closing advice; and refocusing distracted students). If we're lucky, we may have 4 adults for 30 kids.
I feel like the best improvement to the club would be figuring out to have some group lessons/presentations (instead of spending the entire time playing games with circulating advisers) -- but that seems like it would be tough given the range of abilities as well as my own lack of experience with coaching chess.
I did see this earlier question which has some advice on how I can help up my own game, which should help me be able to better help students.
Any advice you can offer would be great.
I have some friends who have been doing this......do you have any experience teaching elementary school children? They didn't, and they said the first year was mostly spent on them learning classroom management skills rather than being able to concentrate on teaching chess.
posted by thelonius at 9:45 AM on October 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by thelonius at 9:45 AM on October 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
The chess club at my kid's school (and his last school, too) closes with a puzzle -- kids take home a printed chess problem, and then at the start of the next meeting they discuss the answer.
Another way they've structured the classes is to have the experienced players pair off at the start and play, while the beginning players get a 15-minute lesson. Then everyone plays for a while, then at the end everyone gathers to watch two of the experienced players play a match and discuss it. Sometimes they have an extra half-hour at the end where they discuss or study some advanced techniques. The beginners are welcome to stay or not (they can learn something just by watching and listening), the experienced players are expected to. That also makes the meetings shorter for the younger and less-experienced players who have less stamina, without having to have two separate clubs.
Especially at the beginning of the year, the oldest players help coach the youngest ones in their earliest matches, as referees or teachers, since teaching can help cement knowledge. I'm not sure if 2nd to 5th grade is a big enough gap, but it might be!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:54 PM on October 23, 2017 [2 favorites]
Another way they've structured the classes is to have the experienced players pair off at the start and play, while the beginning players get a 15-minute lesson. Then everyone plays for a while, then at the end everyone gathers to watch two of the experienced players play a match and discuss it. Sometimes they have an extra half-hour at the end where they discuss or study some advanced techniques. The beginners are welcome to stay or not (they can learn something just by watching and listening), the experienced players are expected to. That also makes the meetings shorter for the younger and less-experienced players who have less stamina, without having to have two separate clubs.
Especially at the beginning of the year, the oldest players help coach the youngest ones in their earliest matches, as referees or teachers, since teaching can help cement knowledge. I'm not sure if 2nd to 5th grade is a big enough gap, but it might be!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:54 PM on October 23, 2017 [2 favorites]
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1. I would devote each class to a single basic principle and then give the kids as much time to pair off and play as possible. Like developing towards the center, keeping knights off the rim, etc. here’s some good ones (some are advanced). Dan Heisman and Jeremy Silman are both excellent authors for describing good basic concepts.
2. try hard to pair kids based on skill. It’s discouraging for kids to get clobbered.
3. My daughter loved it when they got to play bughouse chess in one of the classes.
4. Be strong about enforcing good sportsmanship - a handshake before the game, a ‘good game’ afterwards. This is how you want them to behave in tournaments. Squash bragging or other poor sportsmanship, one kid can discourage many.
Good luck! It’s good of you to take this on. :-)
posted by machinecraig at 9:31 AM on October 23, 2017 [4 favorites]