Coaches for International Junior Events 2010

[andrew martin]

I have assembled various coaching teams for these events,detailed below:

World Junior Greece, October 2010
Coaches

IM Lorin D Costa
GM Simon Williams
GM Stephen Gordon


European Junior, Batumi,Georgia September 2010
Coaches
IM Andrew Martin
GM Neil Mc Donald
FM Charlie Storey

U16 Olympiad Turkey August 2010
Manager and Coach
GM Mark Hebden


As usual, we will be attempting to run coaching weekends prior to each event,so that kids and coaches may become better acquainted.

Andrew Martin

[benedgell]

Hi Andrew. Thanks for posting this. Just out of curiosity, what's the selection process for the coaches?

[Peter Turner]

Hi Andrew
Just so parents and players do not get confused the events you listed are for the World and European Youth Championships with age groups 8 or 10 to 18. I do not know why but there has not been a European Junior (U20) for a few years. These tournaments as below:-

World Junior U-20 Chess Championships Chotowa Czarna, Poland 2-Aug-2010 17-Aug-2010
World Youth Championships 2010 Halkidiki, Greece 19-Oct-2010 31-Oct-2010
European Youth U 8-18 Chess Championships 2010 Batumi,Georgia 19-Sep-2010 30-Sep-2010

Regards

Peter T

[Ben Purton]

Ditto what Edgell said.

[Matthew Turner]

Bens,
I would suggest the process works like this. The coaches are selected using three criteria

1. Having the appropriate playing strength
2. Being the right sort of person (CRB checked etc.)
3. Prepared to do it for the money

When these criteria are applied you are lucky if you have enough coaches to fill the slots! Looking at the coaches that Andy has got I think most people would agree he has done a very good job.

[andrew martin]

Thanks Matthew; nice to hear something positive.

I also have the pleasure of announcing that we have enough money in the kitty to add a fourth titled player to the World Junior squad and thus Lawrence Cooper joins the team. Of course, Lawrence is an excellent coach!

Andrew

[Jonathan Rogers]

Good news indeed. My only (minor) reservation about the original announcement had been that the three coaches originally announced for the World Junior, whilst they are the strongest and the most active in the whole pool of willing coaches, seem even in combination to have little or no experience of their role in such events, and so I wondered whether at least one experienced hand should have been included. The inclusion of Lawrence addresses this concern, however.

So to echo Matthew, this all looks very impressive - especially if the work can start well in advance, as intended.

There is just one more thing to be done, IMO. Scrap the trials and select the best available players!!

[Alan Walton]

Hi,

I think that the 3 "young coaches" going to the world have been quite active in their chess coaching recently, especially within schools and youth players, and once the selection of the players have been made I presume that they would start working with their players more intensely

These players are of a high enough quality to cover all bases, and sometimes younger coaches may interact in a more relaxed way with the players involved

Giving these players the chance now should bode well in the future, giving a greater coaching pool for Andrew

Good selections, Alan

[Matthew Turner]

Andy,
There is a bit of room for confusion in what you have said. I believe that Lawrence Cooper went as a coach to the World Junior two years ago, but I believe that you are talking about him going to the World Youth this time?
There are 10 age groups at the World Youth and we normally endeavour to send one player in each age group. If things are the same this year then that would be 4 coaches for 10 players, which is a considerably better ratio than in previous years. Is it your experience that we need more coaches at these major events? (I am not sure that we do, but I definitely convincable). Last year the ECF offered relatively modest support to the costs of competing and most of the costs were borne by the parents. Is the ECF able to contribute more this year? or will the parents be asked to pay more for greater coaching support.

[Jonathan Rogers]

To reply to Alan, I am sure that all three of Simon, Stephen and Lorin are excellent and experienced coaches. I've actually seen Lorin in action and he's fantastic. I approve of all of them being sent. But my point was that none of them have, so far as I know, been a coach in a World/European event and it occurred to me that there may arise off the board/off the coaching site issues which would be best dealt with by someone who has been there before. That's all. If we can afford a fourth coach, perhaps as head of delegation, that would be ideal.

(I mean, there's a fair chance that our players will be given terrible accommodation, or that the playing conditions will be poor (too noisy), that some one may fall ill through sun stroke, or that some appeal needs to be made against an arbiter's ruling, or their pairings. It is possible to deal with such things as a beginner but they are better dealt with by more experienced persons who perhaps know some of the organisers or arbiters from past occasions)

[andrew martin]

Let's not forget that Peter Purland will attend both events in the role of Manager, so there is experience in abundance to go around, whatever difficulties may arise. Quite often very capable parents are also in attendance, so we never go short of help and good advice.

To answer Matthew's point, Peter told me there was money available for the extra coach,so why not? I'm keen to give the kids the best possible chance and build a large pool of very experienced coaches over time.

Andrew

[Matthew Turner]

I am slightly surprised that there is more money available, but if there is then you have to consider how best to spend it. You might have been better off reducing the cost to parents, or providing bursaries to those who couldn't afford to pay, or funding pre-tournament coaching. I don't have a strong preference and I'm very pleased to see Lawrence going, because I think he is an excellent coach (maybe mentor is more appropriate?). However, I would have thought whatever you chose would be part of your overall coaching strategy, based on your experience at these events.

[LozCooper]

Thanks Matthew; nice to hear something positive.

I also have the pleasure of announcing that we have enough money in the kitty to add a fourth titled player to the World Junior squad and thus Lawrence Cooper joins the team. Of course, Lawrence is an excellent coach!

Andrew

Little did we realise back in January that the three coaches (Lorin, Simon and myself) would be expected to share a triple room

[Matthew Turner]

Lawrence,
Do I take it that Stephen Gordon is no longer going?

[LozCooper]

Yes, I believe he had to drop out due to his university commitments.