Residents of UBC neighbourhoods can take an eclectic range of courses at UNA community centres. The programs are designed to stimulate minds and bodies of every age, provided by instructors proficient in the subject.
One of the courses involves the game of bridge. Usually, it attracts around eight people and it’s free to anyone who has a strong understanding of the game, who wants to enhance their skills, and have fun. The class takes place every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
John Maunsell, who has been playing bridge all his life, is a member of the group who has a special role—he is a bridge Life Master. Life Masters are players who have been awarded a certain number of points at sanctioned tournaments based on how they placed and the number of players in the event.
John has been a volunteer coach since 2015 for those who want to improve their game. He’s a B.C. boy, having grown up on Vancouver Island. His father taught him, his mother, and his older sister, but only he and his father had an affinity for the game. John played at UBC as a student. “There was always a game on,” he says.
John graduated with a degree in English and history and chose teaching as a career, working initially in Whitehorse and then in other B.C. communities. Although he played bridge throughout his life, it was not until 2015 that he rekindled his passion for the game, registering for a free course offered at the Wesbrook Community Centre.
It was quickly evident that he was not just another participant, but the person others turned to if they needed advice. He says that as a teacher, he fit naturally into the role of encouraging and coaching his fellow players.
At the same time, he started to play at The Vancouver Bridge Club. By that point he was playing about nine hours a week. Over the last 10 years, he has won major tournaments in B.C., Oregon, and Washington.
John soon realized that his bridge teaching needed a more formal structure. In 2017, he learned that the American Contract Bridge League was holding a convention in Penticton and offering a two-day course on how to teach bridge. He enrolled.
As a pastime, bridge is in decline—younger players are generally not interested. Many players, John says, are over the age of 50. And while bridge is an easy game to learn as a beginner, it’s difficult to master at a competitive level. But for John, bridge has meant a lifetime of enjoyment that he’s just happy to share with his Tuesday companions.
JAYNE SEAGRAVE IS A B.C. RESIDENT AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF “CAMPING BRITISH COLUMBIA, THE ROCKIES AND THE YUKON”. SHE WRITES FICTION AND NON-FICTION, AND OCCASIONALLY TEACHES WRITING AND PUBLISHING COURSES.