Invest and you will be rewarded

[gaboz]

We are at an incredibly fortunate time in junior bridge. For those who don't know there are a group of players UNDER 20 with remarkable bridge potential. They also have qualities of honesty and charisma (rare for bridge players)
To list a few:
The Edgtton brothers, Justin Howard, Peter Hollands, Andy Hung (etc..)

I believe that with the correct mix of mentors and training, partnerships will flourish.

One of my greatest regrets over the last 4 years is that i haven't been able to develop a solid partnership. The reasons for this are multifaceted (including retirement of partners and study commitments) however, it is not a good enough excuse.

Thus far, over the last 4 years in my international junior career, I have played with 4 different partners. It is a track record almost as bad as the drop-out rate from oz-one.

The reason I have joined the forum today is a plea to the committee. Invest in these youth.

We have the future Hackett's and Brogeland's amongst us. This cohort of players are so keen that they sit on BBO (nearly every night) playing dozens of hands. But they need direction.

Tutorials on partnership harmony, how to win at bridge and how to succeed internationally.

I think an approach from the bottom up is intuitive when you look at oz-one's results over the years.

[Peter]

Gabby wrote:
>For those who don't know there are a group of players UNDER 20 with >remarkable bridge potential.
>
>The reason I have joined the forum today is a plea to the committee. Invest >in these youth.

In my Email Inbox today is a copy of an email in which four of the five players named by Gabby (the fifth has the HSC this year) ask the Friends of Youth Bridge Fund for their airfares and entry fees to Adelaide for the ANOT, but the reply is that they will not be given what they are asking for, but instead just about half of the amount.

So we have four teenagers rated by many as the best of their age in the world, lacking financial support to play the ANOT. Both these U21 pairs who are doing the asking are in the Australian U26 team in Indonesia in a month from now, and the ANOT is part of their preparation. At least two of them
(or possibly more, I do not know) have no money, and are broke.

Gabby wrote:
>We have the future Hackett's and Brogeland's amongst us. This cohort of >players are so keen that they sit on BBO (nearly every night) playing dozens >of hands. But they need direction.

Whenever I drop in at BBO, even at 2am or 3am, I see at least one of them playing bridge there - their love for the game is amazing.

With three of the four apparently being part of the Oz-One Youth Program,
is there any way that they can apply in advance to Oz-One instead of the FoYB Fund for funding to events such as the ANOT? If so, how?

Can someone tell me what the Oz-One Youth Program is? Is it only the Bridge In Schools project? Or is there more to it? Are Adam, Nabil, Justin and Andy still part of it? Is Peter Hollands part of it?

Peter Gill.

[KiwiFraser]

American youth teams somehow manage to keep partnerships together - Kranyak and Grue have been playing together for about 10 years, similarly Hurd and Wooldridge were together for a while. Not sure about Lall and Greenberg but even going back a few years they have fielded the same partnerships at a few WYTC's in a row. This may be a reason for their many successes. In Sydney the Poles seemed to be stronger players but still lost. This was for a variety of reasons but I'm sure that having established partnerships was one of them.

Meanwhile, as Gabby points out, Aussie youth players routinely change partnerships for no good reason that I can see (though they don't have many good role models in this regard) and always disappoint at WYTC, despite often doing well in PABF, NOT, NZ Congress etc. It's true that sometimes one player retires/quits/takes a year off to concentrate on exams or work, etc, but the turnover rate is still very high.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the only Zone 7 medal at WYTC was by NZ in 1995, and two of the partnerships from that are still together (Ackerley-Smith and Bach-Del'Monte) and achieving good results.

Surely Oz-One could pay the entry money for the ANOT for these guys, as I understand they did in the SWPT? I'm sure they'd pay for those who are better off financially and in the Oz-One main programme.

[mrdct]

It's also worth bearing in mind that the only Zone 7 medal at WYTC was by NZ in 1995, and two of the partnerships from that are still together (Ackerley-Smith and Bach-Del'Monte) and achieving good results.
For the record Australia won the bronze medal at the 1991 WYTC in Ann Arbor and, indeed, quite narrowly missed out on the final and pumped USA1 in the bronze-medal match.

None of the partnerships from that team survived turning 26 due to a variety of factors including some new partnerships formed to cope with the retirement of some of the older players, geographic separation, career/family pressures, one or two dropping out of the game and one or two going down the pro-client path.

It could be argued that it isn't entirely healthy for a youth partnership to be completely monogamous as it can lead to ineffective methods and habits being perpetuated.

A model that has been shown to work overseas is a promising youth player being picked up by an old war-horse. Lauria-Versace a good example of that.

[Peter]

Fraser from NZ wrote:
It's also worth bearing in mind that the only Zone 7 medal at WYTC was by NZ in 1995, and two of the partnerships from that are still together (Ackerley-Smith and Bach-Del'Monte) and achieving good results. ENDQUOTE

Bach- Del'monte have not been a partnership for quite a few years now.

Ackerley- Smith had to be added to the 2007 NZ Open Team after they failed to qualify from their actual results in the Trials during Easter.

Of the 34 pairs at the 2007 Youth Week in Canberra, only three have been partnerships for more a year or two: Edgtton - Edgtton (in 2007 Aus Junior team), Skipper - Skipper (in NZ Junior team) and Wilkinson - Wilkinson (last weekend Suz Wilkinson made the ACT Women's team with Christy, not with Josh). Two themes here - partnerships that stick together qualify for national teams, and the similarity of the surnames within all three partnerships.

Fraser wrote:
Surely Oz-One could pay the entry money for the ANOT for these guys, as I understand they did in the SWPT? I'm sure they'd pay for those who are better off financially and in the Oz-One main programme. ENDQUOTE

Entry money? The ANOT is in Adelaide.

The 14 y.o. (15 next week) and broke 16 y.o live in Sydney.
The 16 y.o. is doing all he can to relieve his financial status, such as being the BBO operator at the recent Open and Seniors Playoffs (thanks to David Stern, Nick Fahrer and MrDCT for their initiative of paying for this service, great work, guys), but the 16 y.o. has his hands full with his devotion to bridge taking much of his time, and the last two years of high school requiring serious attention, so he has no time for a job, due to his bridge.

The two 19 y.o.'s are from Melbourne.

Costs for the ANOT for each of the Sydney kids:
Syd - Adel Airfare 175
(I think Jetstar's special offer that started today (until Monday) of 2 for the price of 1 doesn't apply to Syd-Adel in May, alas).
Adel - Syd airfare 160
Accom 150 (or 105 + 30 p.p. in taxis if cheapest option used)
Entry Fee 50

Total of $535 per person without meals. Entry fee is not the big item here.

I received a text message this morning that they are getting from Friends of Youth Bridge $250, less than they asked for. FoYB has about $30,000 in iits account. Its sole prupiose is to help fund youth bridge in Australia.

Some background info, including 2007 results:
These teenagers made the semis of the U21 World Championship last August. In January 2007 all four made the U26 Aus Team, so they cannot play in the U21 Aus team this year. They made it to the NOT Finals, the youngest team ever to do so (by a mile). In their first NOT Finals match they defeated Paul Gosney's team. In their second Finals match, they defeated Nye Griffiths - Griff Ware, who have subsequently received a trip to the GC from Oz-One plus appearances in some matches vs overseas teams. The four kids who beat Griffiths - Ware have got nothing from Oz-One since their success in Canberra. Zilch.

At that time they were part of Oz-One. Are they still? Should Oz-One appoint a Youth Organizer (Cathy Mill or me?) to ensure that the needs of the youths connected to Oz-One are adequately looked after, as has been suggested to Oz-One months ago? A month or two ago on this Forum, someone (not me or Gaboz) pointed out that these kids are truly outstanding and that we should not treat their bridge ability as being that of kids, but as being very close to the best players in Australias, citing their 4th and 3rd at last year's ANOT and VCC as examples of their repetitive great results.

The two Sydney kids used to have an unofficial but most helpful mentor in Vince Demuy, but he has moved overseas. They are stranded, coping on their own. They are kids who are outstanding at bridge. Except for their bridge, they are kids, schoolkids.

The solution is simple. Every successful sport has Sports Scholarships for outstanding youngsters. These four kids (plus Justin Howard) should receive Bridge Scholarships from Oz-One. Perhaps I live in a dream world?

Peter Gill.

[mrdct]

I quite like the idea of some targeted scholarships for promising young players, but it needs to be done in a structured manner rather than reactionary responses to ad hoc requests. It should be tied to a tailored code of conduct that includes such things as staying in school, staying off booze and drugs and committing to formal practice. If OzOne are going to offer such scholarships, it needs to be alligned with its strategic objectives and have measurable goals.

I must say, however, thinking back to when I was an 18 year-old bridge player; other than the roof over my head provided by my late mother, I didn't receive a penny from anyone and got myself through university and a moderately successful youth bridge career funded entirely out of part-time jobs and some relatively minor VBA/ABF subsidies (which never came anywhere near covering the costs) when I was on the Victorian or Australian team. I was always completely broke and perhaps didn't get around to all of the national tournaments, but I always made it to Canberra for two weeks, played in the ANC most years, played most Victorian congresses and played in most Victorian state events.

[gaboz]

I quite like the idea of some targeted scholarships for promising young players, but it needs to be done in a structured manner rather than reactionary responses to ad hoc requests.


I don't think Peter's pleas are meant to be reactionary Dave. It just so happens Peter is one of the big reasons these teenagers get to bridge events. He actually has been Australian junior bridge's most significant mentor to date.
Aside from technical matters, like car pooling, booking flights and accomodation, Peter is often at great personal cost because administrators don't get funds out to youth players as per allocated.

The reason i am pleading is because the TALENT is there. This message cannot be stressed enough to administrators and those who have available funding.
moderately successful youth bridge career.

We want EXCELLENT results not MODERATE results.
I predict that we have a cohort of players who can win the world juniors in 5-10 years. But they need WORK.

[PGosney]

[QUOTE=gaboz]It just so happens Peter is one of the big reasons these teenagers get to bridge events. He actually has been Australian junior bridge's most significant mentor to date.
QUOTE]

Agreed. Peter has been great help to me since offering to play with me about a year ago. Also since I have been around he has always offered great assistance to youth players at the National Youth Week and for overseas events like the World Youth Pairs and Camp last year and events like Hamilton (advising costs/details, finding accomodation etc). Thanks Peter :)

[KiwiFraser]

In response to Paul's comment, I agree that Peter Gill does a huge amount to help young bridge players and, despite taking every opportunity to bag all things Kiwis, New Zealanders have been just as likely to benefit from Peter as Australians. In fact in my more despondent moments I have wondered if Peter doesn't do more for New Zealanders than the NZCBA.

I appreciate what Peter says about costs of travel, I guess as a Kiwi I'm used to jumping on a bus and getting wherever I need to be within half a day.

No doubt I'm going to get in trouble for saying some of what comes next. However . . . Peter then goes on to say that one of the 16-year-olds has no time for a job owing to pressures and time commitments of school and bridge. I didn't play bridge when I was 16 but I was involved in hockey, cross-country running (I was just a wee bit skinnier then), table tennis, debating and the school musical and was taking a correspondence subject on top of my full time school work. In hindsight I probably didn't have time for a job either, but I still managed to fit one in. When I went to Japan on student exchange as a 17-year-old I got a $500 grant and paid for the rest from what I'd earned.

I realise that it's hard keeping on top of everything. But I guess I find it hard to believe that said person spends so much time on bridge and schoolwork that he has no available time at all.

It's great that Nick Fahrer and others are supporting youthies, because bridge is an expensive pursuit and Australia does have a talented cohort of players coming through who deserve all the support they can get. But they also need to help themselves.

Hopefully this hasn't lost me too many friends :) . .

[mrdct]

Get a hair-cut, get a job and turn that noise you call "music" down!

[KiwiFraser]

Yeah! In my day prices were reasonable, politicians were honest and kids respected their elders!

[ianmac]

In my day you paid for everything, learnt from books, played with the same partner for years, played every possible day and each day spent as much time discussing defense as system. (Help from Tim, Denis and Bill was important too).

[DavidStern]

In my Email Inbox today is a copy of an email in which four of the five players named by Gabby (the fifth has the HSC this year) ask the Friends of Youth Bridge Fund for their airfares and entry fees to Adelaide for the ANOT, but the reply is that they will not be given what they are asking for, but instead just about half of the amount.

What a load of crap Peter. If you are going to make comments like this why don't you get your facts right.

Try the following direct quotes from emails:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hi David, You might've heard from Adam a few days ago about subsidies for the ANOT, and our decision has come to, that our team is Adam + Nabil, Jeremy Rosen (Vic youth) and myself. So is it possible to get subsidies for all of us? Thanks Andy
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Andy The Friends of Youth Bridge Fund does of course take applications for subsidies. Our general policy is to subsidise players who could not otherwise be able to participate were it not for the subsidy. Who is in need of the subsidy and how much did you have in mind David
--------------------------------------------------------------
Hi David, Well at the moment, it looks like Adam and Nabil are in need of return flights from Sydney to Adelaide, and also the entry fees. So from what I can gather, their flight tickets cost about 160 for just 1 way trip. I think that should do. Thanks Andy
------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Andy We generally limit subsidies to $250 maximum per person per time and given the amount that we have already given Adam and Nabil I am reluctant to go beyond that amount. So if they send me their bank details I can have the money paid directly to them David
------------------------------------------------------------
The money was paid the same day

In terms of subsidies paid to the Edggtons in the past you should note the following:

Edgtton Subsidit Canberra 2007 $490
Edgtton AYC 2006 $454.50
Edgttons ANOT 2007 $500

If you feel that there should be more subsidies Peter then by all means take the time to raise the money and make more money available. It is easy to say that there is $30,000 there but it earns a mere $1,800 a year in interest. During the last 12 months it has subsidised the ABF Youth Councilor by $3,000, contributed $1,085 towards the past few years costs of the AYC.

Peter, please try and present a balanced view when you question people's actions and motives.

[Peter]

Unless it has been changed, this is an extract from the document which says what FoJB aims to do:

"FRIENDS of JUNIOR BRIDGE

The initial aim is to establish a stable fund of approximately $25 000. It is recognised that this target may take some time to achieve and a balance must be found between ongoing needs and the desire to stabilise the fund at this level.

Based on interest revenue of $2,000 per annum the fund would allocate a minimum of $2,000 per annum towards its activities. Consideration would be given to the allocation of additional funds brought in on a year to year basis between current year funding and an increase in the base level of the fund. The overall objective is to allocate approximately $5,000 per annum without any depletion in the base value of the fund." END QUOTE

This thread was originally about trying to turn our world class teenage bridge players into world bridge champions. It seems that Fraser and Ian may have explained how they achieved this goal. I did not manage to do anything so rernarkable when I was a teenage bridge player. At that time there was no Oz-One Youth project (thanks to Paul Marston for helping to create Oz-One) and no FoJB fund (thanks to David Stern and various mostly anonymous sponsors for excellent work in setting up and maintaining said fund).
My experiences as a youth bridge player when there were no World Junior Championships to be won are not comparable to the current situation.

I think we have an excellent possibility of achieving the aim repeatedly expressed by Gabby in this thread - helping to turn our incredibly talented current crop of juniors into champions.

OK, so I sometimes do not get my facts exactly right (67% is not about 50% and all that). When that happens, it's good that people correct me. By such methods we arrive at a fuller understanding of the reality of the situation. Isn't that part of what a Forum is all about?

Peter Gill.