School Info

Quick Clicks:
Click here for School Registration Form.
Click here for the current calendar.

Now What? CMSCA Club Coordinator Do's and Don'ts

Now that you are running a chess club, what should you expect from CMSCA?

CMSCA will provide your club with a knowledgeable chess instructor twice per month on average; minimally, you will be visited once per month, but this is rare. Typically, it will be the same instructor at each meeting unless it becomes necessary to change.

If you have not already registered your school with CMSCA, do that immediately. Time slots for instruction are filled on a first-come basis. While we have several instructors, some times are more popular than others and they fill up fast. Click here for a school registration form.

Our instructors will show up according to the posted schedule on the CMSCA website. Click here for the current calendar. They will come with their demonstration board and be ready to teach. IF you have a large club, you may wish to designate a certain location for the instructor to work with a smaller group while the rest of the club plays.

Our instructors are great resources for information on upcoming tournaments, CYCC (the city-wide chess club) and chess-specific questions. Please ask them if you have questions.

Here is a list of do’s and don’ts to help you on your way:

Do check the website-posted calendar every weekend to make sure of your club-scheduled visit time and date.

Do be sure to sign the CMSCA instructor’s time-sheet at the end of every visit, including the time the instructor was there.

Do introduce your instructor to the group of students s/he will be working with. Students should treat the instructor with respect and enthusiasm. It is appropriate to refer to the instructor as "Coach John" or "Coach Matt" or similar.

Do handle any student disciplinary problems yourself, that is not the instructors place. (If a student becomes disruptive during a lesson s/he obviously does not want to be there and the instructor will send the student to you.)

Do contact CMSCA for any of the following reasons:

• Your instructor doesn’t show up according to the posted schedule
• You change the time/date/location of your club meetings
• Your club will not be meeting when you are scheduled to have an instructor visit
• You have feedback (negative or positive!) on any CMSCA issue including instructors, scheduling or tournaments

Do check the schedule of upcoming tournaments and provide registration forms for your club members to be able to participate.

Don’t leave club control with an instructor, they are there as a resource for your students, it is still your responsibility to run and organize the club and the students.

Don’t give scheduling information to the instructor; contact CMSCA if your club will be making a time/date change, or if your club will not be meeting on a certain day.

CMSCA wants your chess experience to be a good one for both you and your students. Please contact us if there is any way we can support you and your club with instruction, materials, resources, tournaments or scheduling issues.