We created a new Seahorse beginner chess class to bridge gaps in our chess education for young students. For those who didn’t take our Guppies classes and/or aren’t quite ready for HRSCC, our only beginner options have been through our community partners. While these are fantastic opportunities, they are unfortunately not accessible to everyone due to geographical and scheduling limitations. We are offering Seahorses as another option! It will follow the Guppies class on Tuesdays and run alongside HRSCC. Seahorse “graduates” will have priority registration for open spots in HRSCC.
This class is specifically designed for total beginners ages 6-13 (1st grade-8th grade). Younger students may be admitted by exception. If students show mastery of the basic rules of the game, they are welcome and encouraged to move on to Hampton Roads Scholastic Chess Club and continue honing their skills in our “Minnow” and “Rockfish” pre-competition groups. We even have players as young as 5 or 6 who are well into playing rated chess. Age will not hold your child back, but start with Guppies (ages 4-6) or Seahorses ages 6-13) or another beginner class. The class is limited to 12 students.
The *NEW* Seahorse beginner chess class meets on Tuesday evenings 6:15-7:00 PM. Winter session begins January 7th and ends March 25th. There are 12 total classes in the session. *Please note that the calendar in your Parent Portal does not allow us to mark dates that the class is not meeting. Please refer to our weekly newsletter, or website alerts page for any schedule changes. Winter session meeting dates: January 7, 14, 21, 28 February 4, 11, 18, 25 March 4, 11, 18, 25
This class meets at King’s Grant Presbyterian Church, 745 Little Neck Road in Virginia Beach.
Coach Ryan is joining the HRCA team and is excited to work with the new Seahorses! In the event of a substitution, rest assured that we will hand pick a coach with the right disposition to teach this age group, and that all of our coaches are certified by US Chess and background checked through HRCA.
Will my child compete on Tuesday nights? NO, not yet. Like Guppies, Seahorse chess meets alongside Hampton Roads Scholastic Chess Club, but is a separate program. Seahorse graduates have priority registration for open HRSCC spots, and may also wish to play in our rookie section at monthly tournaments if they are comfortable.
Do I have to stay with my child? Parents of younger children should remain onsite for the duration of class.
This class is $110 for the 8 -week session + $25 non-refundable HRCA Annual Registration Fee for new students. The default payment method will be to pay for the full session up front. If monthly payment plan is needed, parents may use our Financial Aid application (below) to request three monthly installments of $36.66 (Jan-Mar) prior to December 20th. Annual Registration includes student HRCA membership and a ChessKid Gold subscription (a $70 value!). Tuition will be billed via autopay to account on file January 1st.
HRCA requires autopay for tuition and registration fees. The non-refundable $25 Annual Registration Fee will be charged to the account on file within 72 hours of enrollment, unless already paid via the Parent/Student Portal. It is a one-time yearly fee across all HRCA programs, so you will not pay it again if you have already paid it through a different class/club this academic year. Tuition will be posted to your Parent/Student Portal approximately one week before payment is due. To avoid autopay, you may log into your Parent/Student Portal and make your own payment early. Otherwise, HRCA will process payments on January 1st. Families with 3 or more siblings in our core chess programs are eligible for multi-sibling discounts and a family cap of $225/month. Scholarship families will only be charged for their Annual Registration Fee and co-pay amount.
HRCA works hard to ensure that our tuition and fees are among the lowest of educational and sports offerings while providing quality staff and programming. We have limited financial assistance available, including payment plans, scholarships, and waivers, reserved for students with true financial need. If this applies to you, or you just need a monthly payment plan for tuition, please complete our Financial Assistance Application HERE. Needs-based financial aid may be available through our Joan H. Schlich Memorial Scholarship Fund. We are subject to limited funding, but we strive to turn no child away for inability to pay. Your account will not be charged for your class until your scholarship application is processed and a co-pay (if any) is determined.
The deadline for Winter session scholarship applications is December 20th.
The grid below shows open spots remaining for this class. Click “Register” in the grid or the gold “REGISTER HERE” button below to sign up!
