Desert Dynasty
Catalina Foothills High School wins consecutive National Championships, third in four years, and ninth overall for Coach Robby Adamson
Jerry Nash and Robby Adamson pose with the top scorers from this year's K-12 National Championship Team: Catalina Foothills.
Taking their first break of the tournament, the entire Catalina team puts on some smiles and enjoys their triumphant victory.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor are dynasties. A championship team is built from the ground up over time. It requires an environment that is comforting and encouraging in hard times, critical and directive when needed, and experienced enough to know which is appropriate. This sort of support has to come from the parents, the coaches, and the players themselves. Catalina Foothills High School has slowly built that environment, and the results have become evident. Last weekend in Atlanta, Catalina Foothills won its second of back-to-back National Championships, its third championship in 4 years, and officially cemented itself as a chess dynasty.
It’s hard to know where to start in passing out accolades, but perhaps because I am a coach, I choose to point to the coach. After all, we all know that, when a team disappoints, the first to feel the heat is the coach. So it seems only fair that he be the first mentioned when the team succeeds.
Coach Robby Adamson is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable coaches in scholastic chess. The Atlanta win marked the ninth National Championship that Adamson has been a part of, beginning in 1995 with St. Gregory Jr. High, followed by his last-minute-hire to mentor the Fitch Academy’s super-talented but disorganized high school team in 2003 (of which I was a part), followed by the seven titles he has accumulated at Catalina.
9-Time National Champion (as a Head Coach): Robby Adamson.
3 National Championships in 4 years for Catalina Foothills High School
“As the kids continue to progress and improve, my job becomes one of less nit-picking and X’s and O’s,” said Coach Adamson when I caught up with him a few days ago. “My job becomes the simple tasks of keeping them focused, playing in the right tournaments, making sure they support each other, and constantly reminding them of all the things they know and have experienced.”
One of Adamson’s greatest strengths is his ability to communicate with his students and their parents. “The team concept and chemistry has to be there. The players have to know going into the tournament that, outside of a chance at first, every individual result is second to the team’s result,” he says. “Whether it means taking a draw in the last round or continuing to fight in a worse position for the sake of the team, these things must be done. As you know, Danny, I am big on psychology.”
In 2003, when Robby was brought on as a last minute “mentor” to the Fitch Academy, I had personal experience of his coaching abilities. We were extremely talented and our ratings reflected that, but we had never competed as a team. I was the “top board”, but I was young and my leadership skills left something to be desired. In fact, our “bottom boards”, Mark Moore and my younger brother, Fitch Rensch, were the ones who understood the sacrifices that make for a successful team. Robby came in and added his voice to those of Mark and Fitch. Before the tournament started, Robby helped me understand that the team must come first. Sure enough, when I headed into the last round with 5.5 out of 6, I found myself playing on board 1 against the only player with a 6-0 score. Obviously, a win would have given me an individual championship. Late in the match, I found myself in a dangerous position which, if pushed, could result in a win. But I also knew that a draw would clinch the championship for the team. So I took the draw, probably the first time I experienced sacrificing myself for the good of the group.
Board #2 for the Chess-Monster that is Catalina: Vaishnav Aradhyula.
Board #1 for the Chess-Monster that is Catalina: Landon Brownell.
“Experience is always the X-factor,” say Adamson, “especially at the high school level where it seems that every critical game comes down to time pressure. The 2008 team may not have been as deep as the 2007 team, but they dealt with the pressure like pros. Much like the 5-member Fitch Academy team in 2003, the lack of depth forced everyone to play better. They knew that in the end, their score would count.”
Heading into Sunday in Atlanta, Catalina was down two points. They had underperformed, and they knew it. So what did Robby tell them? “I went to each individual and I told them exactly what I needed tomorrow. I reminded the kids that our competitors were yet to have a bad day, which meant Sunday was ours. I reminded them all what it felt like to be a champion…”
A dynasty of the past... The Shelby School's chess team poses for a local newspaper in 1998, immediately after winning their 4th National Championship in 2 years.
From left to right for the Fitch Academy's 2003 National Championship Team: Head Coach Robby Adamson, Assistant Coach Gary Moore, Bryan Paulsen, Daniel Rensch, Pieta Garrett, Mark Moore, and Assistant Coach Steven Kamp.
In watching Catalina conduct itself, I am reminded of the great Shelby School teams of the past. Both were willing to set themselves apart by striving for excellence instead of settling for the middle-ground that generally satisfies teenagers. In doing so, Catalina has become an example of the best qualities of scholastic chess.