Young SCRABBLE Players at Nationals

by Cara, Matt, Chris, and Jon Canik and Stephen Sneed

There were 25 players at this year’s Nationals who were 19 and under. Four played in Division 1 (Phil Wertheimer, 22nd; Alex Fiszbein, 26th; Sam Rosin, 33rd; and Charles Reinke, 39th), and 19-year-old Thomas Reinke won Division 2 over fellow youth player Matt Robin. Twelve-year-old Bradley Robbins was 5th in Division 3, 16-year-old Chris Canik was second in Division 4, and 13-year-old Tristan Vanech placed third in Division 5. Cara Canik, from Austin, Texas, had three children playing: Matt (16; Division 3), Chris (18; Division 4), and Jon (14; Division 5). Here are their thoughts — and those of their friend and fellow Texan Stephen Sneed (15; Division 3) — on Nationals:

19 and under at NSC 2009: Charles Reinke (Middleton, WI), Thomas Reinke (Middleton, WI), Noah Lieberman (Charlotte, NC), Evan Winston (North Salem, NY), Zach Pekarsky (Madison, WI), Stephen Sneed (Ft. Worth, TX), Hannah Lieberman (Charlotte, NC), Matt Canik (Austin, TX), Jon Canik (Austin, TX), David Steinke (Indianapolis, IN), Christopher Walleck (Lakewood, OH), Stephen Winston (North Salem, NY), Ben Schoenbrun (Ardsley, NY), Alex Fiszbein (South Lyon, MI), Bradley Robbins (Windham, NH), Chris Canik (Austin, TX), Joey Krafchick (Roswell, GA), Matt Robin (Sterling Heights, MI), and Will Nediger (London ON).

Missing: Tristan Vanech (Venice, CA), Ruben Radlauer (Los Angeles, CA), Sam Rosin (Bernardsville, NJ), Andrew Friedrich (Aurora, CO), Katie Devanney (Paoli, PA), and Phil Wertheimer (Short Hills, NJ). If we have left out any other names, please let us know!

Cara Canik (mom of three players):

Chris, Matt, and Jon Canik preparing for Nationals at the airport

“Having three of my kids participate in the National SCRABBLE Championship was a very heady experience. I enjoyed seeing them interact with the people they played online but had never met before, meeting up with ‘old’ friends, and making new SCRABBLE friends. Most of the adult players were very encouraging of the youth, offering strategy help, word knowledge, study tips, and moral support. It was an interesting experience to become a ‘SCRABBLE Mom’ for the teens and preteens. I'd set off for the deli at lunch with my own three boys, but end up there with a dozen or more youth players. They always seemed to find each other during breaks and after hours.”

Matt Canik (Division 3):

"It was cool meeting up with my old friends and meeting people face to face that I have only talked to and played online. The after-hours room was the best."

Chris Canik (Division 4):

“Playing a bunch of SCRABBLE and meeting new friends was a lot of fun. Earning money for college by placing second in Division 4 was definitely a plus too.”

Jon Canik (Division 5):

"I think participating in Nationals really helped me to improve my game. I really enjoyed hanging out with the other young players and meeting some of the 'big names' in the SCRABBLE world."

Stephen Sneed (Division 3):

"I had an incredible time at the National Scrabble Championship. I had fun playing with experienced players and hanging out with my friends. I hope that we can all see each other again next year in Dallas."