Welcome to Play Better Bridge ~ Your Home For Online Lessons
I like to say that I have done everything there is to do in bridge, but teaching is my passion. I was introduced to tournament bridge at the young age of five when I began caddying at local tournaments. On one fateful day at the age of eight, the tournament officials needed a fill-in and they knew I played the game. I filled in with one of them and we won. Well, I never looked back at caddying...I was hooked! I studied every book I could get my hands on. Professional players took me under their wings and I soaked up all of their shared knowledge. I began teaching bridge lessons in junior high school and i went on the tournament circuit upon graduation from high school. I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to play bridge right then and there.
I worked as a tournament director throughout undergraduate studies and law school. I actually practiced law for a few years but the bridge bug kept calling me back. In 2002, I said goodbye to law and returned to teaching bridge in my home. This project quickly out grew my sun room and I moved to an office building nearby. My class roster went over 1000 names and there was no where in Dallas for them to play. So in 2008, my "teaching club" expanded to a bridge club which I named Bridge Academy of North Dallas to keep the emphasis on the learning. As BAND celebrates 10 years of duplicate games, it is now one of the largest clubs in the country. At the beginning of the pandemic, BAND has moved online as is now known as BAND Online.
Other bridge projects over the years include Bridge Newspaper and Magazine Editor/Publisher, NABC Child Care Coordinator for 20 years, District Board Secretary, Tournament Chairman and Award Winning Journalist.
At the bridge table, I had my first national win in 2003 at the Long Beach NABC. In 2010, my partner and I topped 420 pairs and won the World Mixed Pairs at the Philadelphia World Championships. In between winning big events as a player, I captained world level teams to 6 medals ~ including 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze.
The bridge success is exciting, but my passion is teaching. To this end, I have taken my classroom lessons online! When I went back on the tournament trail full time, I felt I was missing a part of me and I was ~ Teaching Bridge! I had to find a way to bring teaching back into my life as teaching on a regular basis in a class room was no longer an option. It has taken some time to transform my lessons and teaching technique to an online platform and I am excited about all of the innovative platforms for teaching online since the pandemic began.
PlayBetterBridge.com is now where I fulfill my passion for teaching and I hope it will become your home for online bridge lessons. As you work through your videos, webinars and lesson bundles, feel free to send me your questions. Think of me as your personal virtual bridge coach. Join me PBB Online Lessons and together we will take your bridge game to the next level.
Donna
