Matters arising from the ECF Nat Schools girls event

[Andrew Martin]

You will have seen the growing entry list to the 2017 tournament.

There is a striking contrast between the entry for the southern and northern events.

There were complaints last year that six places were allocated in the final for southern teams and only two places for northern teams, but entries were low in the north and most of those entered at the very last moment, making it impossible to draw a sensible balence.

Are there really only a handful of schools in the Midlands, East Anglia, Lancs, Yorks, Lincs, Cumbria, Manchester, Cheshire, Nottingham etc, who will support this tournament?

Why don't we get more entries from the Midlands and North?

[Alan Walton]

One possible reason is that the finals are located in Guildford

It means Northern (and possibly Midland) schools are thinking why enter a qualifying event if it is highly likely they would not travel the large distance; whereas the Southern based teams don't really have this as a major problem

It all comes back down to the fact the to be totally inclusive national events should ideally be based in the Midlands

[Andrew Martin]

The finals are held in excellent conditions at the school
of the sponsors. The accommodation and food package is very good value.

If other sponsors come forward , based in the Midlands or North, then I would be happier accepting your point, but I don't really currently see it as a valid reason not to enter.

[Michael Farthing]

The shopper decides on the valid reasons for purchase, not the supplier!

[Andrew Martin]

I often have big problems organising a simple school
match between two local schools, what with all the admin and lack of teaching staff available to help, so I guess travelling long distances is certainly a major issue.

[Alex Holowczak]

I am a coach at a Girls school in Birmingham. Their reasons for not entering:
(1) The member of staff in charge is too busy to travel away at weekends.
(2) There is an option of sending me with the team(s) as a de facto member of staff, but the Semi Finals clash with my existing commitments at the 4NCL.
(3) They instead play in a local secondary schools league in Birmingham, which provides them with about 5 or 6 local fixtures over the course of a season. This is an easier logistic option than a qualifier in Manchester on a Saturday and a two-day Final in Guildford. It tends to satisfy demand, when built in with local junior events I organise, and the UKCC Megafinal.

[Andrew Martin]

Would we get more entries if we introduced a third semi-final in the Birmingham area?

[Alex Holowczak]

No, I'm not sure it would. Allow me to elaborate on my points yesterday.

• Given the team is representing the school, there needs to be a member of staff in attendance. This will always be true, whatever the format. The member of staff is responsible for all of the school's extra-curricular activities, and chess is just one part of that. There are already numerous weekend commitments she is committed to, so it the probability that two events will fit in her diary is limited. I have the same sort of issue with respect to other chess commitments like 4NCL. So in all probability, staff availability won't make it possible for there to be an entry. The following points assume the dates work.
• The two tournament options are in Guildford and Manchester, and the Final is in Guildford. The school gets around to away matches locally by taxi, but this is not an option for venues in Guildford and Manchester. The school can't justify the cost of hiring a minibus for a team as small as 3, so we'd have to enter about 4 teams to make it worthwhile. Depending on availability of older girls, we might manage 2.
• Supposing the school qualified, it would then feel committed to play in the Final, because it would let the children down before you even consider the problems caused to the tournament. The logistics of getting to the Final remain, but now there are the new logistics of an overnight stay involved. So it's much easier to get around these problems by not entering the Semi Final in the first place.
• The Finals weekend is during the school's Easter holidays. I realise this is so the accommodation at the host school is available.

It looks like you've tried to copy the EPSCA format with an 8-team APA 2-day Final, and that clearly works well for enthusiastic players, and players who play a lot outside of school. But that isn't your target market here - or at least, I assume it isn't. I assume the aim is to get casual players more involved. Very few of the girls at this school play outside of school, and even then it's local junior Rapidplays. To ask them to then go to Manchester/Guildford, possibly travelling independently, to qualify for a Final requiring overnight accommodation in the Easter holiday when no member of staff may be available, is asking too much. It's not the right format for casual players.

The logistics of entering the event are just much too difficult for us. I would make every effort to get them to enter a one-day one-off team Rapidplay for the Championship, if the diary is clear for one of us - even if it involved travel! You'd probably still get the stronger teams entering with that format.

[Roger Lancaster]

Not entirely convinced this is a phenomenon unique to girls. The J4NCL, for example, also attracts significantly more entries from the south than the north despite most venues being in the Midlands. I can see a number of reasons although I'd hesitate to place them in a priority order.

[Neill Cooper]

I think this raises various issues.

Do we know of many schools who could take part but who don't?
Most of the entrants are independent girls schools. Are they as common further north as they are in the south east? Do many of them play chess? Should we do more to encourage other types of schools to enter (if so,how)?

Is the timing a barrier to participation?
Weekends are somewhere between awkward and impossible for many secondary schools but if the school is keen enough they will take part, as shown by the entrants already received and the numbers playing at the Eton rapidplay.

Is the location difficult?
The large numbers who have already entered, and who used to play at the Girls events run at Claremont Fan School by Clare Summerscale, show that events south of the Thames can still be very popular with girls teams. It is further north that there are problems. Perhaps the Manager of Girls’ Chess, being based the North, could help encourage northern girls teams to enter.

[Alex Holowczak]

I think this raises various issues.

Do we know of many schools who could take part but who don't?
Most of the entrants are independent girls schools. Are they as common further north as they are in the south east? Do many of them play chess? Should we do more to encourage other types of schools to enter (if so,how)?

I'm not sure this counts, but Birmingham is further North than yourself and Andrew. The school I am referring to is an independent school.

[Neill Cooper]

I think this raises various issues.

Do we know of many schools who could take part but who don't?
Most of the entrants are independent girls schools. Are they as common further north as they are in the south east? Do many of them play chess? Should we do more to encourage other types of schools to enter (if so,how)?

I'm not sure this counts, but Birmingham is further North than yourself and Andrew. The school I am referring to is an independent school.

I assumed you were talking about King Edward VI High School for Girls.
Last year the only English girls schools to enter were from the South East.

[Andrew Varney]

Getting schools teams (not just girls) to play chess matches at secondary school level is a battle enough in a local setting, in my experience in Oxfordshire. Set-ups in secondary schools mean that it's a lot harder to make happen than at primary schools for a good many reasons.

An additional phenomenon I am starting to pick up for the girls' chess is that there is typically not the same commitment to play at "the next level". They are happy with playing within the school or possibly in a school team locally, but don't have the ambition to play for the county or the school at a national level. That is apart from a small handful of very keen players who are typically competing with the top players in open categories for their age groups anyway and jump at the chance. If there are only 1 or 2 of those in a school club, that's not enough for a team.

The more barriers there are, the less likely it is to happen of course, but removing some of the barriers (such as clashing events, travel distance) still does not guarantee participation.

[Andrew Martin]

Kids are encouraged to try lots of different activities in our schools. They often do so much, I wonder whether they actually get the space to think.

When I see even little kids struggling to carry a rucksack full of school work, plus sports kit and a musical
Instrument at the end of a school day, I do wonder how chess is ever going to get a look in.