May 2018 - 9

CEO CORNER
The American Contract
Bridge League
President
Jay Whipple III
Chair, Board of Directors
Bob Heller
Chief Executive Officer
Bahar Gidwani
Chair, Board of Governors
Richard Popper

Board of Directors
District 1 * Leo Weniger
District 2 * Paul Janicki
District 3 * Carlos Muñoz
District 4 * Joann Glasson
District 5 * Sharon Fairchild
District 6 * Margot Hennings
District 7 * Bob Heller
District 8 * Georgia Heth
District 9 * Jay Whipple III
District 10 * Russ Jones
District 11 * A.J. Stephani
District 12 * Dennis Carman
District 13 * Suzi Subeck
District 14 * Sharon Anderson
District 15 * Phyllis Harlan
District 16 * Paul Cuneo
District 17 * Bonnie Bagley
District 18 * Claire Jones
District 19 * Marv Norden
District 20 * Merlin Vilhauer
District 21 * Jacqueline Zayac
District 22 * David Lodge
District 23 * Kevin Lane
District 24 * Alvin Levy
District 25 * Mark Aquino
To contact a district director,
visit acbl.org/boardofdirectors.

BY
BAHAR GIDWANI

"We had the best time!"

It was the first day of the Spring NABC. Our Board had wrapped up its spring
meeting on time, and that left me free to play a round of bridge. (I've not had
much time to play bridge since I joined ACBL.)
I showed up 45 minutes before game time. The Partnership Desk was crowded
and noisy. I made eye contact with the volunteer who was running the desk, and
he asked if I'd mind playing in the 299er game with a player who had "only 30
points." Happy to do so, I was speedily introduced to Lynn Knight.
Lynn had just been rejected by another player who
asked her two questions: "How long have you been
playing?" and "How many points do you have?" The
answer to the first question was "less than two years"
and her "under 30" stigma meant Lynn was instantly
rejected.
Lynn and I filled out our convention cards. No special
treatments or conventions - we didn't Alert a bid all
night. We introduced ourselves to our first opponents
and started playing.
We had fun. A couple of our staff members came over
during a break to ask why Lynn and I were laughing so
much. As Lynn said at the end, "We had the best time!"
This was Lynn's first NABC. She was part of a group of six who had been
encouraged to come by Stephen Nellisen, who runs The Bridge Table club in
northern New Jersey. Lynn thought she'd be playing with her regular partner. But
one of their group was called away for a personal matter, and the odd person out
was afraid to brave the gauntlet of the Partnership Desk. So Lynn volunteered to
be the one who dived into the partnership "dating game."
Lynn knows everyone at her regular club. It was a little different at the NABC,
but she says everyone was friendly. Lynn's group stayed only one night at the
hotel, so the overall cost wasn't that high for two days of great competition.
The other folks in Lynn's group came at the end of the round to see how we'd
done. They were a diverse mix of ages and backgrounds. Exactly the kind of
people we want to attract to our game. I asked why Lynn and the others didn't
stay longer. She said they had other things they had to do - work, families, hobbies. Bridge was a part of their lives, but just one part among many.
Lynn's group worries that we aren't attracting enough new people to bridge.
Stephen's club runs a "Newplicate" game, one designed especially for those with
60 or fewer points. Lynn and her friends plan to mentor new players through
their first few rounds in this game. I love this idea. Many clubs already have such
programs, and perhaps we can turn it into an ACBL-wide initiative over the next
few months.
Lynn sometimes plays at two other clubs that have game times that suit her
schedule. All of Lynn's clubs are friendly and fun to play at. I felt privileged to be
part of Lynn's first NABC and to have experienced the goodwill that she brings to
the game. We need more people like her and her teammates in our tournaments.
And, she is right: You can have the best time playing bridge!
◾
May 2018 Bridge Bulletin

http://www.acbl.org/boardofdirectors

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2018