BLIND SIDED
Have you ever been blind sided when playing scrabble? I dare to say that it happens to every newbie when they first attend an NASPA club.
I am not saying this to frighten any potential club players from showing up to play at clubs like CLUB #350, in Orange County, California; Quite the opposite. Scrabble clubs are where the action is.
Peggy Thomas, if you are reading this, don’t let this keep you from attending tomorrow night at ARBYs.
Believe it or not, I get 1 or 2 calls every week from total strangers who find my name posted on the net at a scrabble site or article. Receiving the call makes me feel joyful. The conversation usually follows the same course. The caller begins by telling me that they love to play scrabble; they tell me about the little tricks that they have discovered on their own, that makes them the primary winner among their family and friends. Next, they apologize for not being as good as what they imagine club players to be. They often tell me that they are not competitive. (I don’t get that. They’ve been demolishing their friends and family, and enjoying it.) Then they ask about club play.
Newbies always say that they are afraid of making their opponent’s feel bored. Bullpucky! What they really mean is that they don’t want to feel embarrassed by playing poorly or suffering a major defeat at the scrabble board.
They can remain as King/Queen of the castle, playing at home – or – they can risk becoming a Pawn in the world of club scrabble.
Being a ‘Newbie’ is humbling. Every club player once began by being a newbie at some time. When I was a newbie in 1987, I was fresh meat to the likes of Rod Nivison, Paul Epstein, Karol Foss, and Chuck Armstrong. I experienced week after week of losses. But with each loss came another important lesson. I learned words and strategies that I would have never learned by playing the family and friends whom I beat up on a regular basis.
Some people who call me tell me that they will begin attending club when they become ‘better’. That is silly. They will never become ‘better’ without accepting the challenge from others who know more. And after 20+ years of competing, I can tell you that I still learn lessons at every club session.
CLUB SCRABBLE is not for the meek. CLUB SCRABBLE is not for the timid. CLUB SCRABBLE is not for the wannabes who are not willing to experience frustration and expend energy to learn more.
CLUB SCRABBLE is thrilling. CLUB SCRABBLE is challenging. CLUB SCRABBLE is a never ending learning experience.
I can guarantee that if you come to scrabble club expecting to win all your games from the get go, you will be BLIND SIDED. Just come to have fun and learn a lot.