How To Start A Chess Club: Chess Camp

 Hello new chess coaches, and welcome back to my series on starting a new chess club!

The Value Of Chess Camp

One of the smartest things I did as a new coach was send my kids to chess camp. Chess camps are offered by many different individuals and organizations. Some are operated by national chess corporations, and some chess camps are run by local tournament directors or private chess coaches.

 

In the case of my club, we attend Founders Chess Camp run by local tournament director Jim Liptrap. Mr. Liptrap is a legend in the Houston area and runs a yearly camp in Spring, Texas. Many tournament directors run organized programs, and if they don't run one themselves they are likely to know someone reliable who does.

  

Why Chess Camp?

1. For the kids.

Chess camps come in all sorts of different flavors. Some chess camps are overnight camps, others are day camps, and some are mixed in with video gaming camps. There are even a few that are half-day camps. 

Most camp programs run a week. I have taken my kids to a camp run by a local tournament director; the camps employs six chess coaches and an athletics director.

This particular camp is divided into a beginners section with three coaches, an advanced section with three coaches, and athletic activities between lessons with the athletics coach.

Learning from IM Dan Fernandez at chess camp. 

The value of chess camps is great in my opinion. It keeps the kids involved in chess over the summer and keeps their chess minds sharp. 

It offers them the opportunity to learn from some of the best minds in the local area. It also allows them to hear chess instruction from the perspective of different quality chess players. 

 

Coach Jon Santos: A chess coach can learn much themselves by attending the camp.

 

2. For a new coach. 

As a beginning coach, one of the most valuable experiences to help me grow as a chess instructor for my students was attending chess camp.

I would travel with my students in their lessons and see what experienced chess coaches found to be valuable.

Many of the lessons and ideas I use today came from my experiences at chess camp. I brought a journal with me and began taking notes of principles and ideas of chess. 

I highly encourage you to seek out a chess camp and get your students to attend and attend yourself as well.

Coach Bruce Donohoe teaching -- 34 years as a HS chess coach.