This document announces a free two-day Scrabble coaching camp for students ages 10-18 that will take place on October 24th and 25th, 2011 in Dubai. The camp will be run by Karen Richards, an experienced Scrabble coach from Australia, and aims to promote Scrabble playing among youth. It will include interactive lectures, practice sessions, and a follow-up tournament. The goal is to identify potential UAE participants for international youth Scrabble tournaments.

1. Coaching Camp with Karen Richards
For ages 10 – 18 (Grades 4 – 12)
October 24th & 25th 2011
Dubai International Academic City

2. Tournament Scrabble
• 4000 competitive Scrabble clubs around the world.
• Tournaments all year round in various locations; top players travel extensively.
• Biggest tourney in the world: King’s Cup in Thailand (8000 players)
• Most prize money: Causeway Championships Malaysia (USD 180,000)
• Governed by WESPA,World English Scrabble Players Association.
• WESPA manages international rankings, laws, schedule, youth outreach.
• World Championship (WSC) every 2 years – almost 100 players, 25 countries)
• 2011 tournament in Warsaw, Poland.

3. Scrabble In The Gulf
• Played competitively in the UAE and the Gulf since 1989.
• High ranked players who take part in and win international opens.
• UAE has been at each World Championship since 1991.
• UAE players ranked 5th, 8th and 20th in the world in the past.
• UAE debut at 2010 World Youth Championship: 12 year old Dylan D’Souza.
• Gulf Scrabble Championships (GSC) held annually since 1990
• Gulf player demographics: ages10-75, 80% men 20% women
• Nationalities: USA, UK, Australia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Philippines etc

4. 21st Annual GSC in Dubai
• Took place on 24th and 25th June at Etisalat Academy
• 36 players from 6 GCC countries played 16 rounds
• Sponsors: Jashanmal Books, Thomsun Group, Khaleej Times
• Winner was UAE’s Mohammad Sulaiman, will represent UAE at WSC
• Results of each game affected world rankings
• Widespread media coverage in Khaleej Times, Gulf News, TheNational, Radio 4,
DubaiEye, City 7 TV, Dubai One
• 4 of the 36 (2 from UAE, 1 from Kuwait, 1 from Oman) were school students
• Prizes worth 25,000 AED awarded

5. Youth Scrabble
• WESPA maintains a separate Youth Scrabble Committee with the intent of
promoting tournament Scrabble among school students worldwide
• Scrabble has proved a valuable tool in personal development of gifted children,
providing challenges and mental stimulation whilst fostering a variety of skills
including strategy, discipline, spatial awareness, mental math and vocabulary
• The WYSC has taken place annually since 2006
• 2011 tournament in Malaysia; UAE in the running to host 2013 tourney
• The UAE aims to send at least 4-6 participants to this year’s event
• UAE Scrabble Club collaborating with schools in local initiative
• http://www.youthscrabble.org/

6. Karen Richards
• Karen Richards has been playing Scrabble
competitively for 13 years in Australia
• After retiring from her job as a management trainer,
Karen devotes her time to travelling the world to
coach young people in the art of playing Scrabble
• She chairs WESPA’s youth committee and organizes
the WYSC every year (has done so since 2006)
• Karen’s 17 year old son Alastair has been playing competitively since the age
of 7 under her mentorship and is now one of the top players in Australia
• Karen has agreed to conduct a free 2 day camp for students in Dubai on the
24th and 25th of October 2011
• She is also keen to assess Dubai as a potential venue for the 2013 WYSC
• With that in mind, a tournament with veterans and youngsters will be held on
the 21st of October, with Karen and Alastair taking part

7. The Camp
• Takes place at DIAC Recreation Room
• 9AM – 5PM on both days with interactive lectures and practice sessions
• Lunch and refreshments provided at venue during the course of the camp
• All Scrabble equipment provided
• Giveaways for students provided by Jashanmal Books, Amity University and
Karen
• Certificates and T-shirts to be presented to all participants
• Attending the camp is mandatory for qualification to WYSC 2011 (for those
without prior competitive experience)
• UAE Scrabble Club will follow up locally to groom participants for future
tournaments and will be happy to include them in our monthly sessions at
WildPeeta; the aim is to kickstart a long term initiative with the camp
• Participants advised to take part in all day beginners tournament on Oct 21st ;
separate prizes and trophies for beginners