Service to Others
Reaching out to teammates, family and community is an integral part of Excelsior Chess’ programming. In a manner of speaking, we measure a player’s chess ability through competition over the chessboard at team workouts as well as at area tournaments. It is through our interactions with others, however, that we can gauge the degree to which we are embracing Excelsior Chess’ “Core Values”, and it is through service to others that we can express those values. We begin this journey through service to our teammates, so at every team workout players are evaluated on their application of our Core Values through “Sportsmanship” points that are awarded. In time, players are encouraged to apply those values at home and in the greater community.
Sharing chess with family members and inviting adult family members to workouts and tournaments, especially grandparents, is a great way for younger children to learn to serve others outside of their team. Older children and youth can volunteer as coaching assistants with teams made up of younger children, with the elderly, in under-served neighborhood chess programs and in many other ways. It is important for all of us to realize that service to others can grow naturally out of any part of our lives, be it school, work or our hobbies.