Who's that guy in the center? Bill Gates is a bridge buff and that's him (that is he?). Four young bridge players from San Fancisco got to meet him at the Youth NABC in Washington DC that recently concluded. They are: Samuel Kuang, Jason Yee, (Gates) Edmund Wu, Kendrick Chow. Thanks to Lauren Friedman, who sent me the photo.
Bridge gets a bum rap as a game for your grandmother. While it's true that many players are older (often looking for entertainment after they've raised their family and are approaching retirement), there are young players, too -- just check out the image above. Don't they look enthusiastic? Don't they look handsome?
One way to facilitate the future of bridge is to introduce it to the younger set at an early age. School kids soak up bridge like a sponge. One of the more active and successful teaching programs is based in the San Franciso Bay area, and is called the Center For Bridge Education. This non-profit organization has brought bridge to its area middle schools and high schools (often taught as an enrichment program). and I try to give them publicity in my favorite magazine for their worthwhile efforts.
The CBE sent the four to Washington DC last month, and Lauren says they had a wonderful time.
I didn't talk to these guys, but I imagine it was a thrill to interact with Bill Gates. I haven't met him, although he and his bodyguard were nearby when I interviewed Warren Buffett last year. (You can read what I wrote and see the photo I took of Buffett, if you click here.)
The four players pictured at the top won one of the Knockout Team games. Lauren tells me they began playing bridge only last September. Early results say to look out for these guys in the future.
Exactly. That's why I wrote "Simplicity Bridge" for the youth market as a downloadable pdf. Another way to promote bridge as a game for young, (and handsome!) people is with video such as can be viewed on my utube 7ntxx site. I urge young folks to make their own and post them.
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