Every Sunday at 3 p.m., the auditorium of Lockhart K-8 School fills with an unlikely sound: silence. Not the empty silence of an abandoned building, but the concentrated quiet of 25 to 30 young minds locked in battle, their fingers hovering over chess pieces as they calculate their next moves. For decades, volunteer coaches at the St. Thomas-St. John Youth Scholastic Chess Club, have been building critical thinkers, confident competitors, and ambassadors for the Virgin Islands.
The club’s roots run deep in the community. Coaches Brandon Rhymer and Sinclair Wilkinson have led the program for decades, creating a completely volunteer-driven youth organization. Their impact spans generations as their protégés now train current students. Wilkinson mentored Coach William van Renselaer, now an international chess master. Rhymer trained Coach Marco Emile, who has become one of the program’s most dedicated volunteers.
“Mr. Rhymer and Mr. Wilkinson do this without any payment,” Emile reflected during a Sunday afternoon practice. “I’m inspired by them. They had a great effect on me and my life, and I would like to have that effect on others. They sacrifice a lot without getting anything in return. Coaching chess is my way of giving back.”
This generational thread — students becoming coaches, giving back what was freely given to them — creates a family atmosphere that transcends the typical student-teacher dynamic. Five adults regularly volunteer their Sunday afternoons, teaching opening strategies and endgame techniques, but more importantly, teaching young people that their community believes in them enough to invest time without expectation of return.
Charlotte Amalie High School teacher Shamang Straun understands the club’s power better than most. She started as just another parent, dropping off her six-year-old son Ger’lanni for Sunday chess. A decade later, he is sixteen and still playing, and Straun is the club’s vice president and secretary.
“It keeps students out of trouble and gives them a positive outlet,” Straun explained. “As a teacher, I see the way the players grow as critical thinkers. They perform better in school when they have this to do.”
Her observation isn’t just maternal pride — it’s backed by what she sees week after week. Students who attend regularly show improved focus, better problem-solving skills, and stronger academic performance. The hours spent considering consequences, analyzing patterns, and thinking several moves ahead transfer directly to the classroom.
For parents in the Virgin Islands, the club offers something precious: a safe, constructive place for their children to spend time — free of charge. The chess club has provided consistent programming for decades, assuring families that every Sunday at 3, their children will be challenged, supported, and kept engaged in something meaningful.
This March, the club faces its biggest logistical challenge yet: sending 22 students and four coaches to Chicago for a national tournament. For Charlotte Amalie High School junior Ger’lanni Straun, it will be his first time traveling off-island for competition.
The day before competition begins, students will explore Chicago’s capital landmarks to learn the history of the area and experience a major mainland city.
The experience comes with a price tag of more than $1,000 per student for airfare, lodging, meals, and tournament fees. For families with multiple children in the program, that cost can be prohibitive. The club aims to alleviate as much financial strain as possible, tirelessly fundraising to ensure that no talented student misses the opportunity.
“We want every child who’s put in the work to have the chance to compete,” said club president Sinclair Wilkinson. When these students reach Chicago, they’re representing the Virgin Islands. They need to know their community is behind them.”
On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the club will hold a fundraising event at Tutu Park Mall. They’re not selling anything except a simple proposition: invest in these young people, and they’ll make the Virgin Islands proud.
How to Support the St. Thomas-St. John Youth Scholastic Chess Club:
The club welcomes donations of any size to help send 22 students and four coaches to Chicago this March. Every contribution helps ensure that financial barriers don’t keep talented young players from representing the Virgin Islands on a national stage.
