European Youth Chess Championships - Prague

[Alan Tate]

2. Chess players are generally good company when they win, and well... the opposite when they lose. The more players doing badly, the lower morale gets.

3. Representing your country should be earned. It should not be easy to get there, it should be very difficult. Motivation is a huge part of success. Select players before they are ready and they will feel like they have achieved something - this can lead to a decrease in motivation and/or a loss of confidence when things don't go particularly well.

I could think of more but 3. is so important that I don't need to.

[PeterReidSmith]

Hi,

As it happens - while there as a parent (only) this time and very deliberately not part of the wider coaching team(most of them are far too good for me anyway) - I did take responsibility for all of Sarah and Rachel's prep, thereby reducing the overall load on the other coaches. I am their coach, so this made perfect sense.

So, much of the prior discussion on this specific point is a bit moot perhaps. As a rule, I try not to look at the noticeboard much, so simply didn't see the conversation earlier.

More generally, if we're taking about how to get the biggest "bang" for our resource "buck" then there are probably bigger fish to mix in the metaphor blender. Or to be clearer: the work done (or not done...) well ahead of the events is much (hugely, madly, deeply) more important than anything a coach might do at them!
If you want to improve something then offer time - opinions are great, but I suggest people offer time (it's more tangible and will afford those in office more options for action and coordination). I have lots of opinions, not much time, but will gladly continue to donate some of it when I can.