The IYBC has put in place a formal training and development plan, based upon objective and observable standards, with a view to setting and increasing standards amongst junior players, assisting the committee in selection, and ultimately allowing for an open and objective grading of all promising juniors. In time, therefore, you should be able to see what level you are at relative to your peers, and we should be able to help you to work on an individual development plans based on your own learning requirements.

The benchmark levels for junior players, and the knowledge and abilities associated with each of them are set out in this document.. Take a look and see what level you think you're currently at.

All players wishing to be chosen to represent Ireland at junior level must be available to participate in a coaching and development programme established by the Committee, under the oversight of Karel De Raeymaeker.  This programme will form a significant element in the selection prcoess for international competitions at all age levels for the 2019/20 season, and is made up of a combination of reading, online, and face-to-face to tuition. Full details of the development programme, the practice and play requirements, and the scorecard weightings for selection are set out in this document.

We are working on our own coaching events for the 2019/20 season and will confirm those in due course. In the meantime, the following major CBAI and NIBU competitions are in suitable locations for at least some of our juniors, and will provide excellent opportunities for you to play and gain experience.

Weekend September 13/15: NIBU Autumn Congress, Derry

Weekend October 11/13: Limerick Congress, Limerick

Weekend October 4/6: Drogheda Congress, Drogheda

Weekend October 19/20: Spiro & Coen Trophies (national Mixed Pairs and Mixed Teams championships), Templeogue Bridge Centre, Dublin - confined to players of Intermediate A grade or higher

Weekend November 8/10: Dundalk Congress, Dundalk

Weekend November 22/24: Kilkenny Congress, Kilkenny

Weekend January 13/14: Revington & Geraldine Trophies (national Men's Pairs and Teams championships) - confined to players of Intermediate A grade or higher

Weekend January 13/14: Jackson & McMenamin Trophies (national Women's Pairs and Teams championships) - confined to players of Intermediate A grade or higher

Weekend February 22/23: Holmes-Wilson Trophy (national Teams championship), Mount Wolseley Hotel, Tullow - confined to players of Intermediate A grade or higher

Weekend March 6/8: Malahide Congress, Malahide

Weekend June 5/7: Yeats Country Congress, Sligo

Junior players are encouraged to enter some or all of these events (you can get further details at http://www.cbai.ie), and coaching will be provided wherever possible by IYBC mentors who are themselves involved in the event. Juniors are strongly recommended to play in the major national events for which they are eligible - you will find that playing against the best is the best form of learning!

The following classic titles are recommended for junior bridge players - Recommended Bridge Books.

You should be able to get them from major bookstores, including the CBAI shop in Templeogue - http://www.cbai.ie or phone 01-4929666.

The following sample convention cards may be useful if you're filling out a card for the first time:

Juniors U17 CC [Acol] and Notes

Juniors U21 CC SAYC and Notes

Juniors U25 CC[2over1] and Notes

Note that we recommend Acol as the entry-level system for Under-17s, a more advanced SAYC-based system for Under-21s, and some more advanced system add-ons for Under-25s, but we are not prescriptive in this regard. If you play other systems, that's fine ... as long as they are good ones and you know how to use them!