Keith Dropkin (left) coached sons (from left) Stephen and Korey, with the help of wife/assistant coach Shelley, to a “dream season.” Keith Drop- kin has been named the 2012 USA Curling Developmental Coach of the Year.
Coaching Excellence
Steve Brown, Keith Dropkin honored with USA Curling awards
by Terry Kolesar, Editor Photos By World Curling Federation & the Dropkin family
(Southborough, Mass.) has been honored as the association’s Developmental Coach of the Year. Brown was nominated for his work as national coach with the U.S. wheelchair curling team. T e team, led by 2010 Para-
Wisconsin’s Steve Brown (Monona, Wis.) has been named 2012 USA Curling Coach of the Year and Keith Dropkin
lympian Patrick McDonald (Madison, Wis.), fi nished fi ſt h at the 2012 World Wheelchair Championship and solidifi ed a berth for USA in the 2013 world event as well as the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. “T e camaraderie and enthusiasm the athletes bring forward is infectious, and really makes it fun to be around them,”
Brown said. “Each of them has gone through some life-changing hardships as a result of the injuries or disease that led to their disability, but as a person they are resilient and overcome the adversity and obstacles presented to them.” T is is the second time Brown, 65, has been honored as USA Curling’s Coach of the Year. He was previously named
in 1996 as the inaugural recipient of the award. “Like able-body athletes, they have a passion to compete and be the best they can be. We train hard and spend countless hours on the ice perfecting their skills, but when it’s all said and done, I feel like I have learned far more from them about life than I can ever teach them,” said Brown, who owns Steve’s Curling Supplies in Madison, Wis.