For our youth members and attendees, meeting and playing other youth players is a great way to have fun, make new friends, and enjoy the game that we love — but what if their friends aren’t there and there’s no one they want to play?
To foster our youth members’ immediate sense of ease and excitement when they arrive at our club events, we now have a McMinnville Chess Club Parents group chat — a new way for parents and families to let other parents know when they and their kids will be at chess club. It’s also a great way for parents to meet and get to know one another!
Our older members go out of their way to greet and play youth attendees. In the words of one of our club parents’ testimonials, “You will often find the older members coaching and guiding the younger ones, and it is truly something special.” This dynamic is in our club’s DNA and will continue, and our hope is that youth players can take the tips and tricks they learn and put them to practice with their friends and other players who are close to the same age.
McMinnville Chess Club Parents is mostly parents of preteens (ages 9 to 12) and potentially younger as more parents join. If there’s interest, we might help our teen attendees create their own group chat if they want one. (Our organizers have also started the McMinnville High School Chess Club that meets after school on Wednesdays! Follow @machighchess on Instagram to learn more.)
To be added to the group chat by SMS without needing to install yet another app, speak with an organizer at one of our events, or send a message to 501-468-2437 (501-GOT-CHESS). Unlike SMS group chats, however, get GroupMe for iOS or GroupMe for Android to fine-tune your notification settings — and even leave and rejoin — and you can also access this group chat on the web.