Serendipity35

On February 18, 2009, the Manasquan High School Chess Team attended the Shore Conference Chess Tournament at Monmouth Regional High School in Monmouth County, New Jersey.  A learning experience in wider area tournament play, the Squan team lost all five of their main board games but, as this final tournament was post-season, they expected to retain their first-place standing in the conference.

After the tournament was completed, the Blue Warrior chess team was surprised to find out they had slipped to third place in the final standings. Sometime around mid-season, the chess team adviser left his position coaching the black and white squares of the Blue Warrior chess team for greener pastures.

Though he occasionally came back to supervise conference play, practices were canceled because of the lack of supervisory staff and postponed conference competitions were never rescheduled for play. Despite the absence of high school support staff,team members --about 15 students-- found rooms in the high school where they were undetected by faculty.  When chased around the high school by after-school staff, parts of the team would gather in cramped quarters like their guidance office, roll out their game mats and play until the remaining staff chased them home.

In the 2007-2008 District Narrative portion of the NJ Department of Education's school report card summary, The high school principal writes:

"In addition to their academic involvement, over 80% of the students participate in some form of extra-curricular activity. Of particular note is the participation of our band at the 1998, 1999, and 2000 World Series and Ticker Tape Parades, the bi-annual drama presentations, and the Fine Arts Show. The Key Club, Peer Helpers, French, Spanish, and National Honor Societies continue to get involved in community service project activities throughout the various sending districts."

It is an impressive list of accomplishments from a decade ago, back when the current principal was someone else and school budgets had greater flexibility This past year, the Blue Warrior football team won a state championship.  They didn't have their head coach leave and never be replaced. They didn't forfeit any games because of postponements.  They didn't have dedicated gamers scrambling around the school grounds looking for places to practice.  They do have the full support of the board of education, the high school's administrative staff and the school district's budget.

Football may always get the collective attention of the  high school's sending district. The chess team may always struggle to get any recognition at all. But if I were to guess at which had the more intrinsic academic value I might choose a thoughtful Giucco Piano opening over a pep rally and a touchdown.