K.I.N.G. Chess + Athletics

Knowledge Influencing the Next Generation™

Welcome to the virtual home of K.I.N.G. Chess + Athletics! K.I.N.G. Chess League began years ago as an outlet to provide affordable chess lessons to students across the Houston area.Shortly afterwards, K.I.N.G. Athletics was formed to encourage students to exercise both mind and body. Our aim is not only to develop a skilled chess player, but more importantly, to create cognitive exercises and activities that will enhance critical thinking skills.Today, we've joined both entities into one, forming K.I.N.G. Chess + Athletics. Together, our organization has provided daily and weekly chess and athletic classes, tournaments, seminars, and more to students of over 50 schools! We are proud to offer programs in many different learning environments, including public, private, charter, and parochial schools.

Our Director.

Coach Cliff

Founder + Director
K.I.N.G. Chess League, HBCU Chess Federation

Our organization wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the years-long dedication of chess advocacy by K.I.N.G. Chess League's founder, Coach Cliff. Like many students today, Coach Cliff's collegiate tenure was spent focusing on the promise of a football career that never happened.Instead of focusing on sports, he decided to focus on the field of psychology as a way to understand the ills of our society. Already an avid chess player, he began giving informal lessons and found that many children were naturally adept in what's considered one of the most influential and intellectual games of all time.Today, Coach Cliff's unique curriculum has reached dozens of Houston-area schools and beyond. His students compete in local, state, and national tournaments, including the 2017 Super Nationals championships—the largest scholastic chess tournament in the United States!Feel free to choose a button below to learn more about our programs!

Sponsor a Chess Scholar

Our Chess Scholar Sponsorship opportunities are a great way to allow students and families facing economic hardships to continue on their path of becoming an accomplished scholar. Your donation will help us continue to serve Houston area students who are determined to reach their successes through chess.To our supporters, parents and guardians, and our entire K.I.N.G. Chess + Athletics family, thank you! We appreciate every single penny, every word of encouragement, and every second that you volunteer to help our students reach goals they never knew were possible. To make a donation online, please click the button below. For other donations or volunteer and intern positions, please contact us here.Don't forget to share this page along with our #ChessMatters hashtag on all of your social media platforms!

If you are seeking a volunteer or internship opportunity, please skip to the next section. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

~Coach Cliff

Founder + Director
K.I.N.G. Chess League, HBCU Chess Federation

Volunteer or Intern with Us

K.I.N.G. Chess + Athletics has had the pleasure of serving countless of students and educational institutions over the years. Each year we are contacted by students and universities to provide various volunteer and internship opportunities. Our interns have gone on to become college graduates destined for success in their career of choice.

About Us

K.I.N.G. Chess League began years ago as an outlet to provide affordable chess lessons to students across the Houston area. Shortly afterwards, K.I.N.G. Athletics was formed to encourage students to exercise both mind and body. Our aim is not only to develop a skilled chess player, but more importantly, to create cognitive exercises and activities that will enhance critical thinking skills. Our organization provides daily and weekly classes, tournaments, seminars, and more to students of all backgrounds. We serve public, private, charter, and parochial learning institutions.

Description of Internship

Prospective interns will aid in instructional environments, academic events (tournaments, seminars, etc.) or athletic events (practices and games). Prior chess knowledge is not required, and free training is provided. We typically have interns of all academic, educational, and psychological fields of study—as well as other interns who may benefit from teaching in several diverse learning environments.

Scholastic Programs

For the 2024-2025 academic year, we are continuing our focus on "The Power of Chess". Each year we take the many benefits of chess—including critical thinking skills, logic, reasoning, and increased cognitive abilities—and combine them into a well-rounded curriculum that is both challenging and rewarding!Students enrolled in a K.I.N.G. Chess + Athletics program will also earn a chance to compete in individual or team tournaments! So, welcome back to another year of Chess Success!To register for a program, please click on the Program Registration button below. If you are unsure as to whether or not your school offers a K.I.N.G. Chess + Athletics program, please ask your school's coordinator to contact us.

K.I.N.G. Athletics

K.I.N.G. Athletics is the sports component of our programs. Our curriculum is designed to offer students age-appropriate levels of competitive play in elementary through middle schools.Our program combines the importance of physical activity with lots of fun for a rewarding, safer experience! Each student is encouraged to maintain academic achievement in their respective schools.Our athletic programs include *flag football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track, lacrosse, field hockey, cross country, volleyball, and general outdoor play time. Please contact us to help bring a K.I.N.G. Athletics program to your school!

• Contact Us

• Flag Football Registration

*Flag football is recommended as the safer alternative to tackle football in Concussions and Our Kids by Mark Hyman and Dr. Robert Cantu, clinical professor of neurosurgery at the Boston University School of Medicine.

PRIVACY POLICY

Data Collection & Usage:Your privacy is important to us and we will only collect and use personally identifiable information when you fill out our "Media Release" forms, "RSVP" forms, "Contact Us" forms, in electronic mail (email) communication, via phone calls, or by text messaging (SMS/MMS/RCS technologies).How We Protect Your Privacy:
We protect all of the personally identifiable info mentioned above by storing the information using password protected databases, cloud storage, and email servers.GDPR EU Policy:
To those located in the European Union (EU), our aforementioned Privacy Policy also pertains to you, along with the added abilities to opt in and out of our Sites' cookies. (Cookie opt-in capability is only visible when you visit our Sites using a device with an EU IP address.)Third Party Exceptions:This website may link to other external websites, including, but not limited to Carrd, Facebook, Instagram, or other third-party sites. Each of these third-party sites have their own separate privacy policies and are not covered by our Privacy Policy.Your continued use of this website will be regarded as acceptance of our Privacy Policy. As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Media Release.

We love to commemorate our programs and events with photos and/or videos. By submitting this form, you agree to have your child photographed and/or videotaped during K.I.N.G. Chess + Athletics' programs, games, and events to use in promotional (including social media posts) and educational purposes.

Say Hello.