Mike Zacate, in memory

[Erik Czerwin]

Coaches,

It's with a heavy heart that I pass along this information. Mike Zacate, the founder of the ICCA, and the father of the IHSA Chess system that we enjoy, has passed away.

The ICCA will be looking at ways to memorialize Mike, but for now... The IHSA has published this page:

https://www.ihsa.org/News-Media/Announcements/mike-zacate-the-father-of-illinois-high-school-chess-passes-away

Further, now would be a good time to review the ICCA history page (https://www.ilchesscoach.org/about/history).

At the bottom of that page is a link to the Chess State documentary published on Vimeo. It's worth it to show your teams and help them understand a little bit about how special our chess programs are.

I hope everyone takes a moment to remember Mike and all his efforts. What he built for us to enjoy is a tremendous gift.

Erik Czerwin