Why many of our kids leave chess

Some possible reasons.

1. In America you take a stone and throw it randomly and chances are you will hit someone in the mental health care. In a highly competitive environment seeing a shrink is deemed a neccesity by some to being able to function optimally. Chess is stressful. And the kids need support to handle this. More so in a hostile environment. I remember during Mark's early years in chess, he met with such hostility he came close to giving up. So we talked alot. I needed him to understand why he was the subject of such unfair practices. He needed to see that it was not him but rather the officials that could not bear to see him succeed because of their own twisted reasoning.

He needed to also understand that although he may be disadvantaged in Perak compared to the KL boys, for instance, who had greater exposure to technical training and competitions that he could use other skills to compensate. That in any competition not everything can be equal but if he utilises what advantages he had, he could even out the odds.

You see, if anyone one of those conclusions had taken root he may have left chess. Grown disheartened at the cruelties of the officials. If he had concluded that he could not ever beat any of the KL boys because of the technical gap he may not have continued training as hard.

I also managed his expectations. One small step at a time. We did our evaluations and gave ourselves achievable targets for each and every tournamnet. And so he continued to grow.

I also made it a challenge for him not allow the bullies to win and succeed in damaging his spirit. I told him if he can hang on despite what they threw at him in Perak, he can only become stronger.

And I stood by his side when I could. And so he knows he has support outside the game. I may not have been able to do much about the abuses but I think my presence and belief in him helped. I have seen many whose parents cringed in fear and so indirectly tell the players that they too must be afraid of these officials and to accept whatever abuse thrown at them or that they just were not important enough to their parents for them to make a stand.

I think many were lost that way.

2. The other reason is maybe that it is not their dream to be a chess champion. Often I see that it is about the parents. The parents ego. Mark only told me that he may like chess for a career after Subic Bay. After he got a taste of what kind of work is involved. After he had appraised for himself that he can take the pressure. Prior to this it was always just to learn. As an aid to helping him learn to think under pressure. You see, it must be the players decision at the end. They must get to the stage where they want it for themselves. It's them that plays, that faces the stress and so it must be their decision. Some parents dont understand that.

What I am saying is, it may not all be MCF's fault. While they may not police all tournaments well and they even support some of these abusive officials. And they do; parents and players need to also look at themselves.

If we can take note of these things and take positive steps to curb them, adjust some attitudes, we will find more players that can and will last the race.