The latest cover of PrimeTime Backgammon puts one of American backgammon’s most visible player-leaders front and center. Kara Schultz, Board Chairman of the U.S. Backgammon Federation, leads the Summer 2026 issue beneath the cover line “Her Unstoppable Rise.” The issue was published on August 12, 2026.
PrimeTime’s full profile is available to USBGF Premium members. This Bet on Gammon story is an independent introduction based on the federation’s public issue announcement, board directory, and Schultz’s own published board statement—not a reproduction of the members-only feature.
A player and a chair at the same table
Schultz occupies an unusual double role: an active competitor building a profile across the tournament scene and the volunteer leader chairing the sport’s U.S. national federation. The USBGF’s current board directory lists her as Board Chairman. In her public 2025 board statement, Schultz described serving in the chair during the prior year and contributing to both the National Team and Women’s National Team committees.
That combination gives the cover line extra weight. Competitive progress brings an audience; organizational work shapes what new and established players find when they arrive. Schultz’s public record connects those two sides of the game.
Leadership built around growth
In her board statement, Schultz set out an agenda centered on making the federation easier to enter, more valuable to join, and better equipped to grow. Her priorities included:
- Create clearer pathways for new players to learn, improve, and compete.
- Make the federation more welcoming and accessible.
- Expand opportunities for women in competitive play and leadership.
- Strengthen membership and the member experience for sustainable growth.
- Use transparent processes while improving fundraising, outreach, and marketing.
It is a practical brief for a volunteer organization: help players see a route into the game, give members reasons to stay, and build the support needed to sustain national programs.
Why her marketing background matters
Schultz has also described a professional background in marketing, with experience in storytelling, positioning, and audience engagement. In a mind sport competing for attention, those are not merely promotional skills. They help explain why the game matters, introduce its personalities, and make the route from curious beginner to committed competitor feel visible.
That perspective is especially relevant as backgammon expands through livestreams, online play, social clubs, and new formats such as fantasy contests. Growth depends on good tournaments, but it also depends on telling the stories that make people want to follow them.
What the cover signals
The PrimeTime cover can be read as recognition of more than one player’s momentum. It places competitive ambition, federation leadership, and the growing visibility of women in backgammon in the same frame. Schultz is not only playing within the sport’s current structures; she is helping shape what those structures become.
That is why “Her Unstoppable Rise” is a compelling cover line. It points to a career still moving forward—and to a version of American backgammon in which the people competing at the table can also lead the work beyond it.
Read the original feature
PrimeTime Backgammon’s Summer 2026 issue is available through the official USBGF website. The full Kara Schultz feature requires the appropriate USBGF membership tier, and readers should visit the original publication for the complete profile.
