Bridge: A MindSport for All is a collaborative research project that unites academics and practitioners in a global network

Bridge is condensed life

Boye Brogeland and Anders Brogeland talk about bridge as a family and lifetime endeavour.

Norsk Bridgeforbund

Diverse and inclusive, the BAMSA network provides a forum for academics, practitioners and policymakers. Stakeholders in the network include academics from various disciplines including sociology, psychology, sport science and leisure studies. From across the bridge world, the network includes representatives of national and international governing bodies, teachers, players and organisers working at a local level.

The BAMSA network is a vehicle for international collaboration. It brings together educators, administrators, organisers, recruiters, digital developers and suppliers from across the globe and from every tier of the bridge world (international, zonal, federal, national, regional, district and local). The network enables the sharing of case studies and resources as well as the dissemination of research findings, innovation and good practice.

In consultation with network members, BAMSA staff identify research needs and challenges across the sector, they arrange conferences, workshops and networking events, and they co-produce problem-solving strategies and evidence-based solutions. BAMSA’s first network meeting was in Oslo in October 2019.

When working with any group of stakeholders, conflicts and competing agendas occasionally arise. BAMSA researchers strive to balance their commitments to funders, to their institution, to the broader discipline, and to the pursuit of knowledge, as well as to those individuals, communities and organisations that they are studying. The balancing act is easier when there is open discussion about stakeholder needs and perspectives.

If you would like to be part of the BAMSA network, please email [email protected].

Oslo network Meeting

Launched in 2021, this website is intended to serve the BAMSA network. To give feedback, please complete the BAMSA website survey. If you have an opinion, now is your chance to share it!

Image taken from the home page of the BAMSA website

Stakeholder Presentations & Workshops

Stakeholder Presentations

Bridging Organisations

Punch, S. (2024) Empowering Women in Bridge: Gender Segregated Tournaments, EBL NBO Seminar, 2-3 February 2024, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Punch, S. (2022) Building a more Inclusive Community, EBL NBO Seminar, 28-29 January 2022, Larnaca, Cyprus.

Snellgrove, M.L. and Punch, S. (2020) Bridge Issues Facing NBOs, European Bridge League (EBL) National Bridge Union (NBO) Seminar, Prague, 1-2 February 2020

Stakeholder Presentations

Bridging Schools

Punch, S. (2022) Bridge Research in Schools: Promoting Mindsport Education, Paper presented at American Bridge Teachers’ Association (ABTA), July 2022, Providence, USA.

Rushworth, M. (2023) Conference Key Themes, RealBridge & BAMSA Teacher and Coach Conference, Online 7-8 October 2023.

Rushworth, M. (2023) Summary of Conference Presentations, RealBridge & BAMSA Teacher and Coach Conference, Online 7-8 October 2023.  For videos and slides of presentations see https://realbridge.online/teacher-coach-conference-2023-directory/

Stakeholder Presentations

Bridging Sociology

Punch, S. (2020) Bridge: A MindSport for All (BAMSA) Journey, Presentation to Bridge 2 Bridge, Suffolk Contract Bridge Association (SCBA) and English Bridge Education and Development (EBED), 25 June 2020

Punch, S. (2020) Keeping Bridge Alive Through Research, Presentation to Western District Bridge Clubs, Stirling Court Hotel, 6 March 2020

Snellgrove, M.L. and Punch, S. (2019) Keep Bridge Alive Global Network Meeting, Norwegian Bridge Federation, Oslo, October 2019

Punch, S. (2019) Sociology of Bridge Update, World Bridge Federation (WBF), Wuhan, China, September 2019

Punch, S. (2019) Keep Bridge Alive Global Initiative, American Contract Bridge League Educational Foundation (ACBLEF), Memphis, March 2019

Punch, S. (2019) Keep Bridge Alive Campaign, Opening Ceremony for Mixed European Teams, European Bridge League, Lisbon, February 2019

Punch, S. (2018) Establishing a New Academic Field on Bridge, World Bridge Federation (WBF), Orlando, Florida, 22 September 2018

Punch, S. (2018) Bridge and Social Science, European Bridge League (EBL) National Bridge Union (NBO) Seminar, Belfast, 2-4 February 2018

Punch, S. (2017) Sociology of Bridge, Bridge and Science Committee, World Bridge Federation (WBF) Lausanne, Switzerland, 10 November 2017

Punch, S. (2017) Sociology of Bridge Research, Teacher Trainer Workshop, Scottish Bridge Union (SBU) Education, May 2017

Examples of Stakeholder Presentations

Keep Bridge Alive Global Initiative (March 2019)

Keep Bridge Alive Global Network Meeting (October 2019)

Workshops

Bridging Gender

Punch, S., Graham, E., McPherson, C. and Rogers, A. (2018) Gender Inequalities and Bridge – Implications for Tournaments Directors, English Bridge Union (EBU) TD Panel Training, Coventry, 6 December 2018

Workshops

Bridging Covid

Snellgrove, M.L. (2022) Diary Methods in the Social Sciences, Workshop on Diary Data: Scottish Graduate Summer School, 15 June 2022.

Bridge is home wherever I go

Stefan Skorchev enjoys bridge as a social world of happiness, friends and travel.