…with Gary Moss

Scrabble at home with the family, around the kitchen table, is just a game. But as soon as one of the players at the table begins to get a little better than the rest, or a lot better than the rest, that player begins to think that they are the next world champion scrabble player. Maybe so, but rather unlikely.

Many players show up at clubs and tournaments fresh from the ‘kitchen table’. They usually do a ‘scrabble’ search on Google and find my name and clubs listed. They call. We have a conversation about scrabble and their personal playing experience. I try to be both encouraging and realistic. I want new players to come to my clubs and tournament. And I want those players to have a good time and come back often.

Unfortunately, many of the players who come out, expect to win every game, most become very disappointed, and too often they can’t handle the learning curve. Many never come back a second time.

Let’s say that you enjoyed riding bicycles. Every weekend you rode 10 miles with family and friends. You were the strongest cyclist in the group. Others in your group looked up to your as their leader and the best. Now let’s say Lance Armstrong was coming through town and you were chosen to ride on a 75 mile day trip. How would you keep up?

Well it’s sort of like that when you begin to play club and tournament, competitive scrabble. It’s up to you to decide that you want to do the things that are necessary to keep up. There are skills to be learned and word lists to be entered into your memory. The game is the same, but it is completely different. You have to be able and willing to look at things differently.

For those of us who enjoy learning and competition, the scrabble scene is a wonderful place to be. Come join us. Come swim with the crocs.