On Friday, December 30, 2011, Reno Youth Bridge held their first Interscholastic Duplicate Bridge Tournament at the Grand Sierra Resort. The event was a part of the American Contract Bridge League’s Reno Holiday Regional held at this time every year. Of the 204 registered students in the Reno Youth Bridge teaching program, some seventy five students ventured forth to participate in this , the first tournament of the school year. Students returning from last year and new students recruited this year have been learning the game as they get instruction and are able to play in after school activity classes ins eleven of the fourteen Washoe County School District Middle schools. Students are also vieing for gift certificates and the possibility of earning a $1000 college scholarship as members of the Reno Youth Bridge Achievement Program. Pictures of the students playing at the Holiday Regional are shown below:
Brenna Spackman and Ben Hull are veteran players representing Depoali against shown playing against Shane Helton and and Adam Anthony from HDMS. Brenna and Ben were members of the Depoali bridge team that won the RYB Silver cup at last year’s WCSD-RYB team game.
Marge Quagliari, coach and assistant teacher to the Billinghurst Middle school bridge team awards the second place trophy to Henry Weisberg and Matt Mckinley.
Shown here receiving their over all Trophy for winning the Mini Bridge Section of the Reno Holiday Regional are Mona Fleischman, Kelly Nott, Andreya Russell, Kaleigha Valdez, Dane Nott and Grace Martin.
Shown here are the various school team members who played in the first Reno Youth Bridge Washoe County School District Interscholastic Tournament of the 2011-2011 school year. about 80 of the 204 registered students arrived at 9:30 Friday morning December 30, 2011 and began to play in one or the other of the Reno Youth Pairs event or the Reno Youth Mini Bridge event. Also shown in this picture are some of the teachers and assistant teachers who are helping our middle school student learn the game of bridge. After an exciting time playing the most popular card game in the world, the students lined up single file behind Bud Brewer, Tournament Director, and marched up to the mezzanine where the awards ceremony took place following lunch.
Shown here are Harley DeGuzman and Owen McClung, members of the High Desert Montessori Charter School as they go head to head with Logan Northridge and Ankeet Singh members of Depoali Middle School. High Desert was one of the first schools in the WCSD to join the Reno Youth Bridge Program. Depoali middle School was last year’s winner of the RYB Silver Cup and Wendy Malmad and Erin Craig, the bridge teachers at Depoali this year are gearing up to win it again.
One of the best things about students learning and playing bridge is how they begin to see and understand something about critical thinking and that it is essential to make inference about other player’s behavior. In the Reno Holiday Regional Tournament here at the Grand Sierra Resort, our young people are learning and enjoying the process through active competition playing this great game of bridge.
David Weinberg, RYB teacher at Davidson, is pleased to give the winning team in the Pairs game to Jessica Fuchs and Sarah Macharg who showed their determination to win the Reno Holiday Regional event by being aggressive in their bidding as well as careful in defense. We will see more of this partnership in the future.
Rachel Malman from Depoali and Hunter Kuchler from Hillside Grammar school trying to take the number from Carson Buxton and Marge Quiglieri of Billinghurst Middle school
Watch this space for images of the wonderful volunteers who make Reno Youth Bridge work
Reno Youth Bridge, a 501(c)(3) non profit Nevada Corporation, is funded by the generous contributions from individuals, families and charitable foundations here in the Reno Community. None of the RYB Directors or Officers receive compensation for their services. WCSD Certified teachers at each of the participating schools do receive a stipend for their volunteer efforts to teach the game of Bridge to WCSD Middle School Students. If you would like to help us fund our program we have provided the convenience of Pay Pal Credit card services. Just click on the Donate Button on any page or call Bud Brewer at 775-849-4113. Thank You!
