A dedicated teacher and a group of smart children from the country, put a hamlet at the end of Romania, on the map of one of the most complex games of the mind. The students from Oneaga are the fear of scrabble competitions from all over the country, managing to acquire an enviable track record.
The teacher and the students passionate by scrabble from the Cosmin Zamfirache Coșula Coșula
Scrabble is considered one of the most complex sports of the mind. In Romania, it is also known as “Word game”. It is played between two or four players and consists of placing letters on a game, vertically, horizontal, to form words. Each letter and word are punctuated on the basis of rules. The highest scores are obtained when using rarer letters or when placed on certain various colored squares.
There is also a system of bonus but also all kinds of game variants, especially when we talk about professional, competitive scrabble. In Romania, there is an important federation of scrabbles and numerous competitions at national level involving players from all over the country. Some say that the scrabble is superior to the chess because it requires speed and thinking, a good knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, a special flair in the combination of words, strategy but also general culture. Few know that among the most titled, competitive and feared scrabble players, in Romania, are a handful of children from the country. These are the students from Oneaga, a village at the end of the country, coordinated by a teacher. They have a hard to match, with numerous national titles and hundreds of medals.
“Oneaaga phenomenon” and the warriors of the scrabble table
The Oneaga hamlet is located in Cristești commune, about 25 kilometers from Botosani. It is a village gathered at the foot of the Vorona codri, populated especially with small farmers, cow breeders. Apart from the picturesque locality and fresh milk, Oneaga does not seem to stand out with nothing special. In reality, however, in this hamlet at the edge of the forest, true champions are formed year by year, especially scrabble. Since 2010, in Romania, the “Oneaaga phenomenon”, a standard of performance at the game of words, was born in Romania, a phenomenon that still amazes in the world of this sport.
It is about generations of children from the country, who are preparing in the local school, with a teacher, and who succeed in many of the national competitions to win without the right of appeal. There are competitions that have no rival and the number of medals already reaches the figure of hundreds. Of the 1400 inhabitants of the village, at least 100 are national champions or vice -champions.
The teacher who cords them, Vasile Mihalache, is in turn, absolute national and master champion. A man who lived all his life at Oneaga. For 15 years, the students from Oneaga participate in local, national stages, as a real team. Teacher Mihalache calls them at school and trains them with great passion, whenever possible.
The students from Oneaga have won numerous trophies photo Cosmin Zamfirache
“I discovered this sport in 1994, watching TV at a show. I started playing it, and since 1996 we participated in different room competitions. Since 2010, but I decided to share this beautiful sport and children at school. I saw that they like them, many students with the mind, stripped to the book. I realized I had a real treasure on my hand. And for 15 years I went every year with a minimum of 20 and maximum 25 children to competitions throughout the country. Also from 2010, I organize at least a national stage of scrabble annually, here in Cristești. Think about these competitions, strong scrabble clubs come from all over the country, such as Preventis Iași, CSM Bucharest, Argus Târgu Frumos and many more ”says teacher Vasile Mihalache.
Although I face many students from the elite high schools in the big cities of Romania, the children from Oneaga make a feeling. It impresses with the speed of thought, an impeccable strategy and an extraordinary vocabulary.
Have gathered dozens of national titles. “There are four national stages annually. At the end of the year the points are accumulated and the national title is granted to the general standings. However, there are titles at different samples, ie duplicate, composition or free. As all this, during the 15 years, the students managed to obtain over 50-60 national titles, and medals, in local stages, a huge number. ”adds Vasile Mihalache.
“It’s a game full of surprises”
One of the national champions from Oneaga is Anastasia Sadici, a 16 -year -old student. Last year, Anastasia obtained the title of national vice -champion, the one of national champion in composition and national vice -champion. All, in the category you fall.
“I have a bigger brother who plays scrabble. I liked it a lot and I wanted to learn how to play. I talked to Mr. Mihalache and since then I participate in the Scrabble championships. It is a game full of surprises, I always find new words, especially because the dictionary is very rich. In addition, at Scrabble they have the opportunity to socialize with many children of your age, from all over the country. See many new places, moving to the national stages. ”says Anastasia. Together with his colleague, also with special performances in Scrabble, they managed to enter high school, at the “Mihai Eminescu” Botoșani National College, an elite high school in the north of Moldova. Young people say they were helped a lot by scrabble.
Students train whenever PHOTO COSMIN ZAMFIRACHE
“Due to this game you enrich your vocabulary, adapt to critical situations, learn how to think quickly and efficiently. I took 9.85 at the National Assessment, and the scrabbel certainly played its role. ”confesses one of the students in Oneaga. “First, Scrabble helps to enrich the vocabulary. It involves strategy, creative thinking, there are themes, for example, which must only be limited to plants, animal names. It also helps you in mathematics, especially in small classes, because they have to do fast calculations, or 3, or 9. There are evidence where, within three minutes you have to find maximum deposit and calculate, because otherwise it receives warning.”adds teacher Mihalache.
In fact, the secret of performance especially say teachers is, in addition to the native intelligence, the desire for work, the passion for the game of scrabble but also a healthy learning environment. “Passion is on the foreground. Without passion and availability for this game you can’t. Then there are intelligent children, with many concerns, eager to learn the book, supported by parents to do this. ”says teacher Mihalache. The students from Oneaga play instruments, play football, society games and live an idyllic childhood.
A man with a film life
The engine of the “Oneaaga phenomenon” is the teacher Vasile Mihalache, a man who has been teaching for four decades in the village children. It is known for its extraordinary culture, gentleness, pedagogical talent, but also for incredible trials. “Maybe many would have given up if it had happened what the teacher lived. I am convinced that many were falling from everything ”, says a villager.
Vasile Mihalache remained without a father at the age of four and without a mother, at 25. At the age of 35 he remained without a roof over his head. The house would completely burned him, following a trivial accident. He lost everything he had. He was left with the clothes on him. He took it from the end. For a while, he stayed with his sister to rebuild his house. In the host, in order not to lose their minds dedicated to the scrabble game, with all the energy.
From the little ones to the big ones, the students from Oneaga get photo Cosmin Zamfirache prizes
“In 1998 my house burned. I lost everything. I was most sorry for books and my collections. I had to stay at my sister. Here I took the DEX and read it three times in a row. I have uttered words that end in “J”, words that end in “X” and many more. Then I removed all the verbs, over 6400 verbs. I worked hard so I could gather after the trouble. At first the scrabble was a simple fun. After burning my house, I went seriously to the edit. After 18 years of work, in 2014, I managed to win the absolute national title. It was a fulfilled dream. I also received the master distinction. So I decided to teach the children too. There are great students ”says Vasile Mihalache. In order to be able to participate in the competitions, the teacher and his students legitimized themselves at the U Cluj Club.
The local authorities impressed by the students’ results decided to make a local sports club dedicated to this game. “I think this year we manage to make a club to make a sports association, at the commune level, to try to get funds, through which to help these children develop.”says the director of the Cristești school, Bogdan Ciobanu.
