A Principal's First Trip To Nationals

Many schools have chess teams that compete at national tournaments sponsored by the U.S. Chess Federation. Some teams are funded by the school or a non-profit organization, while others are funded individually by parents. Finding support for school chess teams often requires buy-in from top-level school administrators like the school principal. It is hard to describe everything that happens at a national chess tournament, and pictures do not capture the sheer scale of the event. 

Invite Your Principal!

If your principal has never attended a national chess tournament, invite him or her to your next one. Dorinda White, Principal at Rainbow Elementary in Madison, Alabama attended her first National Elementary Chess Championship in Nashville a few years ago, and it left an indelible impression on her.

Mrs. White has always been supportive of her school chess team, cheering them on during local tournaments and even presenting awards. But nothing she had experienced before compared to a national tournament.

2016 Rainbow Elementary Chess Team.

Here are some of her observations from Nationals: 

• The organization of an activity on this scale was very impressive. Everyone seemed very calm and orderly despite the size of the event.
• The playing hall was enormous. Pictures do not capture the feel of walking into a ballroom with that many competitors trying to find their boards.
• The intensity of the kids was unlike any local tournament, and the amount of time kids were playing their games was impressive and showed tremendous focus.
• The emotional support the kids received from coaches, parents, and other kids on the team was a key to their success. Sportsmanship was emphasized above winning.
• Having coaches present to go over games played provided instantaneous feedback which is so important for kids at an early age.
• Team shirts are great and really important, not only to provide a sense of belonging, but also to help find each other in such a large crowd.
• The last round for Saturday night seemed so late for young ones; she suggested a fun social event instead on Saturday night.

Pictured L to R: Chess Team sponsor Nancy Brandon, second-grade student Karsten Wallace, and Principal Dorinda White.

Our Principal was so proud of all of her kids who endured matches that lasted up to four hours and who made claims to assert rules violations. She was fascinated with the process of a young elementary student understanding rules, seeking to have the rules enforced, and even appealing decisions that they thought were not correct. What a valuable life skill!

The tournament ended with a number of team awards for Rainbow Elementary, and also a very special “first.” Maanasi Limaye was the only female to win her section (K6 Under 1000) at that year's Elementary Nationals, and she did so with a perfect score of seven points! Rainbow Elementary had a lot to celebrate, and it was even more special to have our principal there all weekend to watch how it happened.

Rainbow Elementary sixth-grader, Maanasi Limaye.

What's Next?

Principal White was so impressed by attending Elementary Nationals that she has been thinking of ways to introduce more kids to chess at her school. The first thing she did was have an outdoor chess classroom constructed with the help of a local home improvement store. The chess set and board were ready just in time for summer chess camp. There are also plans to install stadium type seating on either end of the chessboard so kids can better view the game being played.

Principal White also is making plans to teach every student in grades kindergarten through second grade how to play. Why is she doing this? Here is her answer:

"I have a strong belief that children learn through play. Chess provides so many opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills and perseverance in solving problems. Even though chess may be considered a game, it is so much more. Students grow by learning the simple rules of the game and learning life skills such as teamwork, collaboration, respect and self-control. By giving children the opportunity in the formative years of schooling to learn chess, we are laying a foundation that will benefit students and teachers. There is a strong carryover into the academic arena and being a well-rounded student."

Dorinda C. White, Principal

 *Since this article was written, Ms. White has been promoted to the district's central office. Congratulations to her, and ChessKid is happy to report that chess is still going strong at Rainbow Elementary and that they continue to attend nationals every year.