For 17 years, Union Middle School safety advocate Ginger Gines is a dedicated coach, guiding students through the highs and lows of intramurals.

“I love the kids,” she said. “I love to coach them. I want them to all feel like they’re important, even if they don’t win. The skills they learn—like communication and teamwork—are invaluable.”

She adds: “It’s not just about my team winning. I want all the students to succeed, even those from other schools. I cheer for everyone.”

Gines was one of 10 coaches at Canyons School District’s middle school chess tournament where the top eight chess players from each of the middle schools sat at tables playing opponents of equal skill levels.

“Even though chess is an individual sport, the intramurals program helps students who may not have access to traditional team sports,” she said. “They still develop camaraderie, learn from each other, and grow together. It’s an amazing environment to be a part of.”

Gines, also a coach for cross country, basketball and soccer, believes students are gaining far more than they expect through intramurals.

“Chess helps with concentration, determination and sportsmanship,” she explained. “Students learn how to interact with others, even those who aren’t on their team. It’s about improving every time.”

After hours of playing one snowy January Saturday morning, Indian Hills emerged as the back-to-back champions of the intramural chess tournament, narrowly defeating Albion Middle School by one point. Midvale Middle School took third.

In between rounds, students bonded, some supporting their teammates and making friends.

Indian Hills eighth-grader Sam Broadbent played a game of chess against Midvale Middle eighth-grader Elijah Woolley in the bleachers.

“I like chess; I like to challenge myself,” said Sam, who was a board winner last year and again, this year. “It’s like a puzzle. You have to figure out how to trap the other person or untrap yourself.”

Elijah enjoys the calmer pace of chess compared to other sports.

“It’s just more relaxing than something like football,” he said. “It’s not as physically intense, but it’s still competitive and fun.”

Both boys also ran cross country in the fall. March will bring three-on-three intramural basketball tournaments and soccer will be played in May.

Coaching with Gines is eighth-grade math teacher Ily Murdock.

“I love seeing how chess provides a level playing field for multilingual students, even those who speak limited English,” Murdock said. “It transcends language barriers, and the kids are respectful, focused and engaged in the game. They come to my classroom after school, eager to set up their chess boards, and when they’re done, they clean up. I like how we’re building positive relationships in my classroom outside of math.”

Murdock sees the cognitive benefits of chess.

“Playing chess strengthens their logic skills. They’re noticing patterns. There are building resiliency and it’s a game which appeals to boys and girls, those who may not be interested in traditional sports,” she said. 

Many Union players who had finished their rounds were playing more relaxed games.

“It’s nice they’re playing in between rounds. They’re playing a low stakes game of Spot. It calms them down. They’re all playing together; it’s helping with vocabulary and they’re having fun. I suggested they wear nerdy hats to remind them chess is a game and to have fun today.”

Draper Park eighth-grade math teacher Shannen Moore learned to play at her elementary after-school program in California though she never competed. Now she’s coaching her own team.

“We practice once per week for an hour for 10 weeks,” she said. “We focus on the rules of the tournament and getting comfortable with things like using timers. It’s a great way for students to develop their strategic thinking, handle wins and losses, and use their minds to succeed, instead of relying on physical skills. They also get a chance to play against people they don’t know, which is a valuable experience.”

Jessica Pike, Midvale Middle’s eighth-grade science teacher, stepped up to be coach for the 20 students who were eager to join the school’s chess program.

“I love watching the kids grow their skills, figure out how to win and gain social skills,” she said. “The club members have become good friends and often bring their chess boards to school to play when they can. Chess is a great way to spend time together after school.”

District intramurals coordinator Taylor Hansen said the chess program expanded last year, increasing from six to eight students per school.

“Intramurals are participation based, not competition based,” he said. “It naturally becomes competition based, but we wanted to have more people participate. It’s giving them opportunity to learn, to play, to connect and to have fun.”

Individual board winners:

Board 1 – Wade Woodbury, Albion

Board 2 – Sam Chen, Draper Park

Board 3  –  Yuun Kim, Midvale

Board 4  – Oliver Seal, Indian Hills

Board 5 – Samuel Humphrey, Indian Hills

Board 6 – Charlie Griggs, Albion

Board 7 – James Gardner, Indian Hills and William Baxter, Midvale

Board 8 – Sam Broadbent, Indian Hills λ