Mentoring Younger SCRABBLE Players

by Mike Early

I like to think that with respect to SCRABBLE, I am made of many and by many. I have had so many mentors in so many ways in the Dallas and Mid-Cities Clubs here in Texas.

I count Mary Rhoades, Kate Watson, Richard Johnson, Darrell Day, Jeff Reeves, Chris Cree, Michael Willis, and Charlie Bond among my mentors in club, and such SCRABBLE luminaries as Jeremy Goard and Jon Shreve outside of club. So many of them continue to advise me in one way or another — the mentoring never really ends, no matter how advanced you get at this game.

Now imagine how I felt when I got a call in 2007 from Lynn Sneed about coaching her 14-year-old son, Stephen. Initially I was a tad reluctant to commit to helping a player that young. But Lynn sweet-talked me into it, and it was a decision that I've never regretted.

I remember first coaching both Stephen Sneed and his friend Peter Olson as they prepared for the 2008 School SCRABBLE Nationals. There were times as they played against me that I felt like I was at the Nationals playing Brian Cappelletto, I kid you not. Other times, I just slaughtered the bejabbers out of them, and I wondered if they were going to cut the mustard at their Nationals in Providence, Rhode Island.

But the guys shared an excellent attribute: they kept their cool. They kept loose and happy, no matter what the outcome of the game. They also worked well as a team; the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. They were self-motivated, and they had all the right attitudes. A few days before their Nationals they played in an exhibition match against me at a local bookstore — and they demonstrated they’d really come together as a team. They finally got a couple of wins off of me — and strange as it may seem about this competitive soul, I was glad I lost! They showed me they were ready to be competitive in Rhode Island.

They were no disappointment: they came in seventh and won $175 dollars and a trophy, which Lynn elected that I should keep. The help I had given them involved showing them about ten essays by experts on playing competitive SCRABBLE, playing lots of games with them, and critiquing their games. For the short time that I’d been helping them, I was impressed with their growth.

Then, Lynn called me with another request. Stephen was entered in Division 4 at the upcoming National SCRABBLE Championship in Orlando. She wanted me not only to coach Stephen for the Nationals, but also to chaperone him on the flight to Orlando.

The preparation became something special. We played a lot of games, both live and online. I saw Stephen grow as a player. He let me know that he understood how luck works and doesn't work in this game. The weekend before we went to Orlando, I spent that Sunday at the church that Stephen and his family attended (Peter Olson and his family also attended the same church). It was an important time together, as we also made all necessary arrangements for the trip out to Florida.

Now my performance at Nationals that year wasn't all that exciting. But when I realized that Stephen was picking up the pace in Division 4 and just might win, it was as exciting as if I were doing the winning. And when he did win first place, it was a huge vicarious thrill for me. What was even more interesting was that Phil Wertheimer, whom he won against in the final match, was also a product of mentoring, namely by his cousin Sam Rosin! And I think many of us have heard just how successful Sam’s School SCRABBLE team was this at this year’s championship!

I also mentor a 26-year-old out in North Carolina named Matt Hopkins. I gave him some suggestions that, according to him, radically improved his game — so much so that he took fourth in Division 2 in this year’s Eastern Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, and won the Newcomers’ Tournament there as well. He is another Scrabbler that I am personally proud of, too, because of how far he has come along. Matt, if you are reading this, I wish the best of success to you, and good luck and tiles.

I get thrilled just writing this myself. Mentor. Do it for the fun of it. Show a younger person or an older one the fun of SCRABBLE. Make a friend; give an up-and-coming player a warm place to be. Make it fun — make it a blast!

Mike Early is a top-ranked SCRABBLE player and former Texas State Champion from Fort Worth, Texas.