Saturday, November 09, 2002 9:44 PM

Established Partnerships

PITBULLS:

Alvin has finished Book II of the E-mails ( editing and indexing ) . The sheer number of E-mails over time needs some way of keeping track of them if they are to be referenced for any self study.

The Pitbulls are not beginners . For the most part the material in the E-mails should not be new material . The material should help in the goal of having two “established partnerships” before the Vienna Cup trials come around . Established partnerships are way more effective than a casual partnership of two experts . Why ? They have “been there – done that” . Thru hard work , trial & error they know their system well and have a vast number of “partnership understandings” . This gives them an edge in any competition . Established partnerships are frustrating to play against as they do not give you anything and keep their mistakes to a minimum.

The E-mails are just my views on the game and Klimo will have similar but different views in some areas . The E-mails should cause the partnerships to examine how they handle the subjects brought up in the E-mails . Some ideas from the e-mails should be written into their system and some ignored. E-mails should be the “spring board” to assist in the partnerships to become more established before the Vienna Cup trials . Concepts will just not come up often enough by playing before the play off in Penticton. I use my own experience in high level competition to bring up concepts & bids which I have seen harpoon teams in the past .

If you do not believe me in the value of established partnerships , just take a look at Bridge results . At the Banff sectional , the winners or 2^nd place finishers in all the events were Kiz/Klimo , Nick & Judy or the Pritchards . These people have played Bridge with each other before J .

Again a coach can only do so much . He can lead Pitbulls to water but he can not make them drink . You must put some effort into your system to prevent the scourge of “partnership misunderstandings” . Asking questions , debating and discussion now & this Winter will save IMPS later in Penticton. Trust me on that one . Local experts like Stan , Tom , Klimo , Maurice and Osama are willing to assist . It would be fun to track the exploits of the Pitbulls over the net in Europe or somewhere.

The duty of a Coach in sports is to teach , offer constructive criticism , motivate and develop a way to win . My strategy for winning is very simple in theory but hard in practice . A team consisting of two established partnerships will represent Canada in the Vienna Cup . Nothing more nothing less. It is up to the Pitbulls to become a team of two established partnerships before this summer.