Bridge games are played in houses, halls, clubs, casinos and schools all over the world – but I’ve learned that it’s not the only places in the world bridge should be played.
There are many environments that could benefit from learning bridge, and if your club is a larger one in the position to reach out (or you’re a bridge teacher looking for a way to do some good), here are suggestions for a few places that need bridge games.
Therapist’s Offices
A game of bridge can have a lot of benefit within a therapeutic setting. How much more comfortable do you feel talking to someone through the barrier of a card game? Most people find themselves more open, and here’s the magic for a therapist or psychologist who is speaking to a patient.
As an additional benefit, taking note of someone’s bridge game and performance over time might allow a professional to easier assess early signs of mental degeneration (or signs of progress) through the game.
Correctional Facilities
One of the worst things of serving a long-time prison sentence is the passing of time. I’ve heard the same thing a hundred times over from people who have spent time in correctional facilities: The longer your sentence, the more mundane it gets in there – and eventually you’ll have read your way through every single book in the library, and then what?
Bridge.
We know that the game boosts the mind and is a great way to pass time: If you’re worried about information passing during games as a correctional official, duplicate bridge has a rule about that – and this eliminates a common danger that makes poker and many other games barred from some facilities.
Rehabilitation and Stress Clinics
Reputable rehabilitation clinics exist for people to emerge better – and often with a cleaner slate – than they went in with.
Methods like art therapy are already employed in many rehabilitation clinics as a means to provide expression and a way to stay occupied.
Card games have always been popular: Why not incorporate bridge – and professional bridge teachers – in this context?
We know it’s great to de-stress, and it can introduce a lot of people to a way of relaxation they didn’t have before they went in. Plus, it’s not as high-stress (or as high-risk) as other games with a deck of cards.
Children’s Homes
I’ve seen a lot of bridge clubs donating to good causes that include children’s homes – but how about taking the actual game to children’s homes directly? Again, it’s a good way to pass the time, and it allows for some interaction: Bridge can have excellent results when introduced in schools, and the same could be true for children’s homes across the world.
Trading Card Clubs
Trading card lovers and bridge players have one big thing in common: They all love their card decks. I’ve always thought that this is common ground for both groups, and can allow one group to teach their deck skills to the other.
If your bridge or trading card club needs numbers, maybe combining for a co-operative meet isn’t such a bad idea.