Correct support for The Scotland Junior International Squad

[Angus McDonald]

by Mike Scott » Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:49 pm

Alan Said:-


play players slightly stronger


'slightly' is the key word.

Nobody goes into a competition building up the strength of your opponents and undermining your own strength.

For the record and I am only actually in a position to speak for Ian!!, I wouldn't normally assume that I could speak for someone elses child!!, Ian has beaten the number 12 and number 21 seed in the under 16 competition previously. I guess I shouldn't be telling him that they are slightly better. He must be told that they are out of sight I guess.
As I said earlier. It is an upside down world.

Also here,

by Mike Scott » Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:49 pm



our juniors weren't good enough.

By snipping out 5 words mid sentence you have distorted what I said.
I said people shouldn't be saying that our juniors arn't good enough.


Well thanks to Alan for trying to be supportive and no thanks to you Mike I'm afraid.

My sincere apologies to you Mike if your highlighting of the word 'slightly' was actually supporting the viewpoint that they are only 'slightly' better.

[Angus McDonald]

I have prepared junior teams for competition in a number of sports previously.

You don't go into competition building up the strength of your opponents and undermining your own player's playing strength. It's obvious.

[Angus McDonald]

Andrew McHarg and the use of semantics

by Andrew McHarg » Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:05 pm



Angus McDonald wroteerhaps you can explain how this comment which was contained within a post that Alan and Robin agreed with is supportive of the Juniors going to the Euroyouth.

by Patrick McGovern » Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:23 pm

For example if you are 16 and in the boys section, your grade should be say at least CS live grade 2100 level otherwise you are not going to achieve any success in the euro's or worlds

I agree with this.



This isn't how I understood this Angus. I think the word choices I have emboldened above (example and say) are indicative of it being an example suggestion of which alternatives could be considered, rather than one which should be taken out of context and therefore cause offence.

Which is, incidentally, an entirely different thing to naming an individual and suggesting they are not good enough.













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Here you have highlighted 2 words in a sentence to try and get me to read a sentence differently. Well if you highlight 2 words it will alter the meaning slightly but even then!! the point is very clear.
It says what it says (and I do understand the meaning of the word 'say') and it was what it says that I was objecting to. Please don't tell me Andrew that you havn't got that?

So I object to the suggestion that if your grade isn't 2100 at age 16 you have

you are not going to achieve any success in the euro's or worlds

It's clear what is being said.

Obviously it is an 'example' because we don't have such ridiculous grading limits. It's the example I'm objecting to. Again, how is it possible for anyone not to get what I am 'saying' here?

Also it isn't me that should have to 'say' it.

Robin moved quickly to put your mind at ease over the other point you made last night.

[Angus McDonald]

Ian has not withdrawn from the Euroyouth and will deal with matters relating to his forthcoming participation himself. I know for a fact that all the juniors going are better than some people are suggesting here with many being undergraded. The opposition are not out of sight and even the top players are only 'slightly' better in my opinion and that only on paper. At the board it's 1 v 1 and I've already seen the youngsters taking scalps that nobody would have predicted.

[Angus McDonald]

I don't recall ever discussing any junior publicly so I suppose you are right (why would I do that?).

Alan,

I am not suggesting you 'discuss' a junior publicly. I do think though that a bit of praise from a coach can do wonders for young players. How's about encouraging them and talking them up. Confidence is a big part of Chess in my opinion. I do recognise that you emphasised that they should be working hard before the event but a little comment suggesting that with the hard work and with the talent they have they can do well? and not to worry about grades! and the such like!

[Derek Howie]

All.

If everyone will just bear with Paul and I till next year, we intend to change the junior tournament strategy completely based on tournaments that we know well from personal experience abroad,

Rbin.

Robin, can you explain further?

[Angus McDonald]

I hope this doesn't mean that the IJD is thinking of taking 'Junior Internationalists' to tournaments that aren't junior tournaments.

I also don't think it's right that, nice as Andrew McHarg is, that you should be reassuring him about future Junior International events after all Andrew's comment was that our 'Junior Internationalists' don't have to play abroad to meet strong opposition.

It's absolutely essential that our juniors do play abroad at 'the pinnacle' events (Euroyouth and World Youth) until ofcourse they are held in Scotland or somewhere else in the UK.

If you are contemplating sending a squad to the British agegroup Championships then I'd very much support that but not in place of any events other than 'Liverpool' in my opinion.

In fact I'd love to see Paul and youself at Torquay next year.

[robin moore]

There are no definite plans made yet. However, with the World Youth being in the UAE and the Olympiad in China, the CS junior budget will be stretched to say the least. We may need to look at alternative events but, I stress, no definite plans have been made,

Robin.

[Angus McDonald]

Yes, the UAE will be a tough one but not insurmountable. If so though perhaps more emphasis on Mureck where the weather sounds fantastic!! and also a tough tournament.

Edit! Forgot EEC tournament isn't in Austria next year.

[robin moore]

Angus,

Yes, The EU Championship is very much of interest. Hoping Hamish or Linda know some more detais of the 2013 event,

Robin.