House Call
Most curling clubs are guided by a Board of Directors. If you’re new to curling or you’ve been a member for only a few years, you might feel you don’t have anything to offer the Board. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Curling clubs often operate on a shoestring budget…or less. Sure, collecting dues from members helps to offset some of the operational costs, but there are many other expenses. For the most part, clubs try to offer as many inexpensive or free events as possible. So keep this in mind: it is the job of members to help make their club a better place, just as it is the job of the curling centre to offer a friendly, clean facility with good ice.
Curling is a game. No match, that I know of (though perhaps it would make good reality TV), has ever been to the death. In league play there is no car on the line; in fact, there’s very little money on the line. At most we’re usually talking enough money to cover the bar tab after the game.
We all love the time of year when the Scotties and the Brier dominate our TV watching schedules for weeks on end. The players are great sweepers and throwers, the shot-making is superb, and the strategy is rich with complexity.
Learning something new, especially when you’re an adult, is tough. If you’ve chosen to learn how to curl as an adult you may, on occasion, become frustrated. Here is a simple technique you can use to build confidence and increase motivation.
I have been asked many times if sweeping actually makes a difference or if it’s just a giant conspiracy to keep the players who aren’t throwing or skipping busy. The truth is this – sweeping can make a huge difference if it is done with proper technique. Unfortunately sweeping is often dismissed as something not worth practicing and some players do not develop the skills needed to be truly effective.
I have one wish for the curling community at large for 2013 and hopefully beyond. My wish is simple. One word says it all: Acceptance.
Slow play affects players at all levels. There are even teams at the Brier and Scotties who push limits and take their sweet, sweet time when playing. Slow Play is best avoided as it makes the game drag on and on and sucks the fun right out of the sport.
Presentations by the Canadian Curling Association about the Adult Get Started in Curling League pilot program in Ottawa convinced Len Stewart to start, not just one program in Greater Victoria, but four!
If just the thought of crouching down in the hack sets your poor knees on fire it might be time to make some modifications to your delivery. While the traditional delivery requires a series of deep bends and squats there are ways to modify it to decrease joint pressure and retain accuracy.
Take a moment and consider what goes through your mind as you’re setting up for a shot in the hack. Start by imagining your skip at the far end holding the broom. Envision your teammates standing close at hand, waiting to sweep.
Nothing makes beginners feel more welcome than offering programs specifically for them, run by people who want them. That’s exactly how Chilliwack has made 28 new curlers feel at home in their brand new Get Started in Curling League.
The Granite Curling Club in West Ottawa is bursting with beginners! According to Club Manager, Denise Hoekstra, the evening Rookies Rock program is what started it all 10 years ago. Newbies flocked to the club to learn how to curl with great instruction in a welcoming atmosphere.
Welcome back to another season. It’s hard to believe the time has already come to dig out our curling shoes and a dust off our brooms. And what a difference a year makes…
Kim Perkins, Head Curling Professional at the Calgary Winter Club, wraps up the season with a few words of wisdom:
True Sport Movement
