// TUCKED IN THE BACK PAGE
Looking forward to the winter W
By Ben Tucker,
tuck@usacurl.org If you end up with a newbie on your team, here elcome to the back page of the new-
look, fancy-pants and jazzy edition of the U.S. Curling News. Well, I was told that it was going to be all fancy-pants. My cruel and dictatorial editor is certainly jazzed about it. I hope the new look is all that she hoped it to be and that we curl- ers appreciate the upgrade. Speaking of my uber-mean boss, the editor did
not give me extra time to write this column … nor did she give me leave to skip an issue. I am currently in the middle of harvest on the farm and it is keeping me pretty busy. Yet I got the distinct impression from Herr Kolesar that her deadlines should be spelled “DEADline.” So while it may be October when you are read-
ing this and your thoughts have turned firmly toward the rapidly approaching curling season, I am typing it amid an early September heat wave. A normal person would have trouble turning his or her thoughts to the roaring game. Fortunately, I am far removed from being normal. (Editor’s note: Very true) I, too, have my thoughts turned firmly toward the rapidly approaching curling season. I am already looking forward to playdowns. I
am really looking forward to Men’s and Women’s Nationals in Green Bay (the home of the evil and hated Packers). I am looking forward to watching some ‘spiels. I am looking forward to seeing my curling friends once again. It has been too long of a summer and it has been way too hot. I am look- ing forward to spending some time on the ice.
When a new season draws
near, one thing that I always look forward to is teaching some new people how to curl. It makes me feel like I am giving something back to the game if I can get them to throw a decent stone and sweep a little bit.
are some thoughts to encourage you: Remember to be overly supportive. Hoot and holler if they make even the most routine shot or do a good job of sweeping your shot. Don’t doom the new- bie by only giving them draws. It is true that the league team that calls the most number of draw shots will generally win. It is also true that giving a newbie a takeout will cause them to lose their draw weight for a couple of stones. It remains true, however, that giving a newbie only draws will doom them to being a mediocre player who can’t make a hit. It also remains true that take- outs are wicked-awesome-fun and a newbie will grin until his or her face hurts when they make their first one … especially if you hoot and hol- ler. Tis first successful takeout might come a bit sooner if somebody on your team volunteers to show up for a couple of practice sessions for the new teammate. Another good tip for those of you with a new
curler on your team would be to direct them to the USCA website where the newbie could read all of Jon Mielke’s past columns. Tat is not to say that Jon is the smartest guy in the world (he fell off his own roof this summer … breaking many bones and bruising up his face to the extent that he was practically unrecognizable, which was a temporary improvement on his usual appear- ance). What I do mean to say is that: Jon knows his stuff when it comes to curling, he’s a great guy, he’s a long-time friend and his columns are a goldmine to new curlers. Mielke has been writing a lot about sweep-
ing lately. I would like to rephrase one of his points: When sweeping on the shooter’s leſt, the sweeper’s leſt hand should be on the end of the broom handle. When sweeping on the shooter’s right side, the right hand should be on the end of the broom handle. It is important that we try to teach rookies to sweep from both sides of the rock because having two sweepers on the same side of the rock is stupid. It is equally important that correct hand is high on the broom. Why is this? Are we not going down the ice sideways? Does it matter? Yes, it does matter.
First, we are not going down the ice sideways. While not totally square to the sheet, the broom belongs between the sweeper’s body and the skip. While the rock is moving along at a good clip, which hand is high and which hand is low makes little difference. When the rock slows, however, the sweepers that have the “inside” hand higher will end up walking down the ice backward! Watch and see for yourself. If a sweeper ends up walking backward once the rock slows, the wrong hand is high. Don’t doom your begin- ners to walking backward into a crowded house. Teach them the right way to sweep. For the Good of the Game:
Many of you may have missed the “Online
Only” edition of the U.S. Curling News this sum- mer. I strongly suggest that you surf around and check it out. In particular, I urge you to read about the passing of Frank Rhyme. I did not know Frank well, but he was an important part of USA curling for a very long time. Te article was written by Frank’s friend and U.S. Curling News Senior Columnist, Dave Garber. It is very, very well written. Since then, Frank’s wife, China, also passed away, at age 88; she and Frank were a great team for curling. My condolences to all of Frank and China’s family and their many friends. As the season begins, start to stretch weeks be-
fore you play. It will help. What might surprise you is that stretching a lot AFTER your first game will lessen the aches of muscles that went unused through the summer. Remember to schedule some out-of-town bon-
spiels. Remember that the MCA bonspiel in Win- nipeg is having its 125th
anniversary and should
be huge. Remember to be a good teammate, and remember to teach the new players some curl- ing etiquette. Remember to drop me an e-mail (
tuck@usacurl.org) when you get time. If you have lots of extra time, e-mail my dictatorial edi- tor and tell her to be nice to me. – Ben Tucker (but my curling friends call me Tuck)
USA Curling (( 31
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