Making Moves

Making Moves

Usually, when a large group of our youth gather in the chapel at the Spiritual Life Center for an activity, the noise level from excited chatter is quite high. But on a late-December afternoon during winter break, an enthusiastic hush filled the room as youth from Cunningham Children’s Home, and six other child welfare agencies from around the state of Illinois, came together to participate in the first ever Illinois Interagency Athletic Association (IIAA) Chess Tournament.

The idea of the tournament came about when one of Cunningham’s chess-loving youth inquired about participating in a chess tournament in the community. Jill, Cunningham’s Special Therapies’ Lead Specialist, spoke with other agencies at a IIAA coaches meeting to gauge the level of interest. She thought 15-20 youth from three or four agencies might participate and was delighted when 31 youth, including seven from Cunningham, showed up to play.

"This turned out to be a great way to reach youth who may not typically be involved in IIAA sports," Jill said. "The tournament had a very low-key vibe for having 30 teens plus staff and volunteers all socializing in the chapel at the same time. The mood was good, low-energy, calm and well-regulated."

Youth self-identified as a beginner or intermediate player and were placed into the respective bracket. Volunteer "chess expert judges" helped to match youth who appeared to be on similar playing levels. The participants played three official rounds with a timer set to cap each round at 20 minutes.

Deiondre*, a Cunningham youth, seemed a little nervous as play got started. Cunningham staff shared he had been struggling in social settings with big groups and would get overwhelmed, isolate himself and not interact with others. He was also having trouble taking direction and staying positive while working towards his goals. The IIAA Chess Tournament, however, may have been just what he needed to overcome some of his recent challenging behaviors. As play got underway, Deiondre really shined. He won his three matches and took first place in his "beginners" bracket.

"Deiondre interacted very well with his peers and was very focused," Special Therapies’ Ashley said. "He was open to feedback and you could see his confidence growing throughout the afternoon. You could really see how much pride he felt and it was fun to see him do so well, not just in the tournament, but socially too."

Playing chess enhances one’s development of problem-solving, thinking, and social and relationship-building skills. It also provides therapeutic benefits like

  • improving memory
  • deepening focus
  • developing perspective
  • elevating creativity
  • boosting planning skills
  • increasing self-awareness
  • helping with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
  • reducing panic attacks

As interest in chess at Cunningham continues to grow for Deiondre and his peers, the Special Therapies team hopes to provide opportunities for our youth to participate in other community tournaments where they can start earning player ranking points in the Elo Rating System, used by the International Chess Federation. But in the meantime, Deiondre can take pride in what he has already accomplished as he continues to practice and learn.

"It was a really cool experience for everyone," Jill said. "We are looking forward to participating in more IIAA Chess Tournaments in the future."

Wonderfully, it was after a volunteer shared his passion for the game that the interest in chess really began to take off at Cunningham. If you have a skill, passion or interest you’d like to share with our youth, consider volunteering by contacting Colleen Combes, Event and Volunteer Specialist, at ccombes@cunninghamhome.org.

*name has been changed to protect the privacy of our youth