Australian Hockey – 100,000+players. Junior pathway to playing for Australia

August 20, 2022 by Rohan Pyne

Check out their development plan from 1st day at the club up to Olympic Gold and retiring poor but happy.

Sound familiar?

The Australian Junior Chess Development Plan seems to be:

Play in a lot of weekenders and find out at the age of 30 that you don’t know how to play endgames.

Why? Because you have spent the last 20 years playing in weekenders where most of the games are decided in the middle game. A top 5 finish for Australia is to be gained in the endgame. End of story.

This xmas make sure your club delegate votes for structural change to Australian Chess.

For instance:

Olympiad Teams

Open, Female and Junior – ongoing, playing training matches by Lichess against the world’s best.

No more finally meeting each other at the venue. No more picking the team a couple of months out.

Fingers crossed??!

There are 12 months in the year and chess can be played year round world over. Except in Australia where it is played 2 months before each Olympiad.

Teams are ongoing, with places to be fought over and secured. New stars pushing the old stars out.

Sorry to see you go etc. Now move along, that’s not your seat.

State Teams

Currently no state teams? You have got to be kidding me! Get some state teams and then we might be able to call ourselves a sport. Until then, get in line behind Falconry and Cane Toad racing.

FIDE rated Round Robins

or as a compromise – Doeberl type events with the elite section being paid for by the lower sections. No more draining money away from the top section for the old moustache petes with their hands out.