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Scholastics Philosophy for NH
by Doug Decker, scholastic coordinator
How are tournament sites chosen?
I think my job is to spread out the tournament sites around the state to 1) give
everyone a tournament within driving distance and 2) not have the tournaments
compete with each other. Parents and coaches offer to host at the Parents' and
Coaches' Meeting during the first round of the state championship tournaments.
Hosts are chosen on a first come/ first served basis.
How are tournament dates chosen?
Tournaments are held on Saturdays every other weekend, starting in September and
going to early February, avoiding vacations and holidays.
How are the championships tournament sites chosen?
We make a special effort to hold the tournaments in a central location since
these tournaments are supposed to be for the whole state. Because 80% of the
population of the state lives in the southern part of NH, I see
"central" not as Laconia, which is close to the geographical center,
but as the Concord/ Manchester area, a compromise between geography and
population.
The host site must have two large rooms with plenty of tables and chairs. We
must also have access to bathrooms. The facility must be offered free of charge.
The football team doesn't pay to use the football field; the chess team
shouldn't be charged to use the tournament hall. The host is encouraged to sell
concessions, which usually earn $200-300.
How are the championships tournament dates chosen?
The NH State Individual Scholastic Championship is held in March and the NH
State Scholastic Team Championship is held in April, hopefully at least two
weeks apart. In choosing the dates, I try to avoid Destination Imagination (OM),
which draws hundreds of problem solving students, Easter weekend, the first
weekend in March (right after the Queen City Open) and April vacation first.
Then I try to avoid All-State Music, Drama Fest and SATs, but if I can't avoid
them, I don't worry; they draw fewer chess players.
What facilities does one need to host a tournament?
A host needs two rooms, rectangular tables, chairs, and bathrooms. One of the
rooms is used for the games. This room is called the tournament hall and should
be able to seat all of the players at rectangular tables. Most sites use
cafeteria tables or 6 foot long collapsible tables. Round tables are hard to
play on. The other room, called the skittles room, is used for the players who
want to talk, eat, go over their games afterwards. It's important for the
players to have someplace to go to talk because talking isn't really allowed in
the tournament hall. The sizes of these two rooms depends on how many players
you anticipate showing up.
What if the host site charges a fee?
It is the policy of the NHCA to not pay for sites. We can get other schools for
free. We feel that schools shouldn't charge their clubs to compete. Schools
don't charge the football teams to play, so they shouldn't charge the chess
teams. Rental charges usually pay for custodians, who are not needed for chess
tournaments. Tournaments have very little impact on the facilities of a school.
Any furniture moving can be done by the players and adults. On the contrary,
hosting a tournament should be a chance for a chess club to make money via
concessions, not to have to spend money. Hosts can usually receive a waiver from
the principal.
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