Though they may not have the brawn of football players, or the stamina of a cross country runner, what they may lack in athleticism, they make up for in brains – and that’s what it takes to play the Sport of the Mind.

Sport of the Mind, or chess club, is an organization that is generally off the radar for most students. However, the club members compete at tournaments and competitions just like the physical sports.

“The competitions are very serious,” founder of the chess club Tricia Dobson said. “Each match is at least an hour long, sometimes up to four or five.”

The chess team has competed in national competitions, including the Super Nationals, which only happen every four years. Making it to these kinds of competitions is a tough feat.

“Each round of the Super Nationals can last up to four hours,” Dobson said. “And there are scholarships available for the kids who do well. There’s a lot of money in chess.”

But beyond chess providing scholarship opportunities, it also helps to sharpen the mind.

“We usually have a professional coach who comes in and teaches us,” chess club member Stewart Cannon said. “We’ve learned a lot.”

The kids who play chess can think far ahead, often planning out more than half of their game before making one simple move.

“They plan so far ahead, I can’t keep up,” Dobson said. “Sometimes I play them, but I can only think about four moves ahead. I just don’t understand how they do it, but I’m really proud of them.”

Chess not only sharpens the mind, but it is also a good source of fun. The team chatters on happily as they play complicated games of chess.

“It makes you think a lot,” chess club member Brendan King said. “But it’s fun; it’s a recreational activity that I enjoy doing very much.”

The team even has a captain, senior Connor Costello.

“I just make sure everyone’s doing what they’re supposed to,” Costello said. “I watch them play and sometimes offer suggestions.”

Various members of the team are also in band and other athletics.

“The athletes are my best chess players,” Dobson said. “There’s something in them that just clicks. And they’re very competitive. They want to win at whatever they do, and chess is part of that.”