Interesting concept, and I wish you the best of luck with it. (Not just luck, since much of what you propose makes sense.) I’ve run a few mixed scholastic-adults based on ratings break.
I’ve offered a true Open along with Under 600 Scholastic. We also offered Under 1000-1400 Scholastic sections, at the same tournaments, but typically we couldn’t draw enough players. They seem to run OK, but we’ve only drawn 10-20% of peak attendance of the main scholastic events in town.
Answer–Give it Time, there is traditional opposition to such ideas. In sports, the
size, speed, and maturity of the child increases with age and grade level. While,
of course, general maturity tends to increase with chess as well, quite often there is
not a parallel increase in the ability to play the game compared with other sports.
The chess ability of a K student more than a few times, is greater than that of a
12th grader. And even more so, as the grade increases from K. What matters more
is at what level chess is introduced, and the individual passion of the player. But, for
the new parent, shock is the initial reaction of seeing their “little man” play “Goliath”
and we know how that story went for Goliath.
There are several considerations for that. We did not offer a JTP section, and we did not offer team prizes (which I concluded meant we would not get the same kind of school support that the BNASC events have.)
Answer–Not offering JTP sections means that there are dozens of kids who will
play UNR sections rather than being introduced to USCF. This tends to place
an unnecessary barrier to future progress on many, serving, really little purpose.
The assumption no teams will come even if trophies are offered is, I think, flawed,
for scholastic events. Good advertising, including on-line TLA, tends to bring more
teams and players.
What I would prepare for, if the tournaments are to be any size at all, is to deal with parents who do not understand why their 10th Grader must play a 2nd Grade student. (And Vice-Versa.) You and I understand why and that it makes sense. Will a new chess parent?
Answer–quite often not. And it does take a patient attitude of the parent to understand. Some parents are not patient, because it runs counter to everything they
have learned from other sports. Most, however, give it a try, and most quickly
understand the reality.
And, come to that, will the players themselves understand why your system is better? Or will that 2nd Grade student get discouraged that they always lose to the big kids and walk away from chess (or again especially vice versa.) It is hard enough for adults to emotionally accept that sometimes - all too easy when the game is done to think “I got beaten by that 2nd grader - or I beat that 2nd grader,” instead of “I beat [got beaten by] that player who is rated 400 points above me.” OTOH, it can be hard for an older student to newly come into the game on grade based because most of their contemporaries at the tournament have been playing for years now.
Answer: For the young, inexperienced, esp, losing is more difficult. Big kids for
psychological reasons have told me they hate “being bullies” and beating smaller
kids. Again, this perception can only be changed with time, and a willingness to
learn. Your second point is one of the key reasons many middle and high school
coaches love the format. In the traditional MS and HS open sections (historically
it is much harder to have enough players at local events to have U sections for
MS/HS only), their new players simply get wiped out. Not fun. Not good for
fueling the necessary passion to continue. With a K-12 ratings based concept
however, the kids a. can start at a more equitable level, and b. has a yardstick
from which to measure their growth, and thus fuel their passion.
Also, in parent relations, you will have to be prepared to explain why their K-3 child at the last event did not have to purchase a USCF membership but now does for this tournament as they jump over the rating hump. (And then see the player go down against those U600s or 900s and drop back into the JTP section again because his/her “true strength” really is 375.)
Answer: As to the first part, most parents do view this as a necessary expense, and
are quite proud to pay extra, as this represents a “promotion” for their young star.
As to the later, with careful td review of the player MSA history, such incidents
can be minimized. (for example, a kid with winning a U400 going 5-0 who jumps
his rating from 390 to 625 does not really belong in the U900 section, as in fact,
he has not demonstrated that his skills are comparative with those in that section)
TDs do have, and should use, the right to assign more proper ratings in such
incidences.
The other thing I’d wonder about is the bounce of provisionally rated players through the sections causing havoc. (Well, in your prior tournaments I didn’t run your P6 score is 401. Can’t pair you into the JTP section even though you only just learned how the king moves and still move the knight 1x1. I’m sure this tournament you’ll go 0-5 and at the next one be much better.)
Answer: See above answer.
Those aren’t reasons to not try… Just things I’d prepare for.
