March 2016 - 24

Volunteers Rock!
Debbie Rosenberg is 2015 Volunteer of the Year
BY SUE MUNDAY

24 Bridge Bulletin March 2016

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ou remember that temblor that shook the Bay
Area bridge world in July 2011? That was the
Rosenbergs - world champion Debbie, Hall of
Famer Michael and Junior star Kevin - crossing the
threshold of their new California home. It didn't take
long for the expatriate New Yorkers to find volunteer
opportunities to give back to the game.
Singling out Debbie Rosenberg's tireless efforts on
behalf of ACBL and USBF Junior programs, 2015 ACBL
President Suzi Subeck named her the 2015 Nadine Wood
Volunteer of the Year.
"I chose Debbie because she has had such a truly positive impact on the league," says Suzi. "It is quantifiable."
No one is more surprised than Debbie, and she is quick
to deflect the spotlight.
In May 2013, an avid group of bridge evangelists that
included Debbie launched Silicon Valley Youth Bridge
(SiVY Bridge), and she was convinced to be the group's
first president.
"Unit 503 has long had a strong volunteer tradition," she
says, "and there were extremely capable people interested
in starting a youth program." She adds that the San
Francisco-based Center for Bridge Education's offer to
fiscally sponsor the group was, and still is, crucial.
"For several years, I had been aware of, and admired,
Patty Tucker's program in Atlanta," Debbie says, "but I
never set out to run an organization. I never thought I
possibly could."
SiVY Bridge offers free after-school classes to fourththrough eighth-graders, and a monthly party so that
the kids in the various programs could meet. As it has
grown, activities have expanded to include casual
Fridays, parent-child games, two (going on three) wildly
successful summer camps, the Bay Area High School
Bridge Championship and, in collaboration with Palo Alto
Unit 503, an annual showdown between Stanford and the
University of California at Berkeley.
The nonprofit organization also offers scholarships
for players interested in attending the Youth NABC. Last
year, they sent 14 members to Chicago. In addition to
financial support, these young players were afforded special training in etiquette, strategy and partnership skills.
"So much of the current success of Silicon Valley Youth
Bridge is due solely to committed and hardworking vol-

unteers," Debbie says, "and to our donors. There are several
volunteers who easily deserve this award."
She estimates that more than 100 volunteers have contributed to SiVY Bridge since its startup, "and at least 60
have been active in the last year." One of those hardworking
volunteers is her son, Kevin, who she's watched grow as a
teacher and an organizer.
"He has contributed a huge amount of time and effort to
the program," she says proudly.
SiVY Bridge records show that the group has brought in
80 ACBL youth members. Debbie is a big supporter of ACBL
events overall, helping kids find partners and teammates
and encouraging them to participate in club games,
sectionals and regionals.
Working with USBF Junior Coordinator Joe Stokes,
Debbie was instrumental in building the USBF Junior
Training program.
"I cannot say enough about all the good work Joe does!"
she emphasizes. She later worked with Michael and Barry
Goren to create the current model. Nowadays, she is a parttime mentor and consultant for the USBF program so that
she can devote most of her energy to SiVY Bridge.
Debbie plays and teaches bridge professionally. She was
a member of the 1991 gold-medal Junior World championship team; two years later, her team finished third in
Aarhus, Denmark. She won gold medals in the 2002 World
Championship Women's Pairs and the 2007 Venice Cup.
"How Debbie accomplishes all that she accomplishes
while still being a great player in her own right is beyond
me!" says Suzi. "She wants bridge to succeed and flourish."
For more information about SiVY Bridge, please visit
siliconvalleyyouthbridge.org.
Learn about the USBF Junior program at usbf.org.

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http://www.siliconvalleyyouthbridge.org http://www.usbf.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2016