GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT // REPORTS FROM THE WARM ROOM
The unwritten rules of curling clubs
by Kim Nawyn, USCA Growth & Development Manager
to curl regularly at any facility other than my home club, I was excited about the possibility of experiencing membership in several communities near the USCA National Office in central Wisconsin (Stevens Point, Wausau, and Poynette).While I found many similarities among these groups – in- cluding the desire to share the sport with newcomers – programs and tradi- tions varied. Embarking on this experience, I expected to find marked differences in
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recruiting and retention efforts. I was, however, a little surprised when sev- eral practices I had taken for granted as being “just the way things are” differed among the clubs. Tese practices, which were outside of the rules of the sport, included use of specific on-ice hand signals, which team cleans the ice at the end of a match, and expectations about broomstacking. Other distinctions came in the form of lockerroom etiquette (lockers are very im- portant in some clubs, a relative non-issue in others), expectations for find- ing subs, and even whether pins are traded at bonspiels. Tese experiences reminded me of my first year as a curler in New York.
Even though club members went out of their way to welcome my cohort of rookies, I found myself feeling like an outsider. Tis was, in part, because I was learning the rules of the game and curling etiquette while struggling to remain upright when delivering a stone. It was also because I was still large- ly unfamiliar with the social mores of the club. Such practices are impor- tant for newcomers to learn in order to truly develop a sense of belonging. Organizations have various ways of communicating customs and tra-
ditions. In curling clubs, it has historically been through interaction with skips and other team members. However, a growing number of clubs incor- porate material on club norms into learn-to-curl classes, brochures, and/ or formal mentorship programs. As clubs that curl at arena facilities oſten have less time to spend socializing off the ice, organizations like the Tri- angle Curling Club in North Carolina are taking extra steps to help estab- lish this sense of belonging among brand new club members. Tey provide everyone who joins a league a club name tag and orientation book on the first night. In addition to helping new members look like part of the group, it lets them know what is expected up front. As curling clubs around the nation begin planning for the anticipated
surge in interest following the 2014 Olympics, club culture is important to remember. Teaching materials prepared for rookie curlers could include club-specific practices such as broomstacking traditions, how to find a sub, where to keep belongings during the game, how early to arrive prior to a game, etc. Helping new members develop a sense of belonging early on may ultimately be one factor in their decision to continue with the sport. Member benefits update
The USA Curling Stone Purchase Program, made possible through the support of the World Curling Federation (WCF), offers all member clubs
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usacurl.org
n recent years, I have been a league-playing member at four differ- ent curling clubs. Following relocation from the East Coast (Ardsley Curling Club), where traffic and distance would have made it difficult
the opportunity to purchase brand new or high quality refurbished stones at- cost over a five-year period. The multi-year payment schedule is designed to help make new stones more accessible to clubs around the country. In ad- dition to the 66 sheets of stones that have been distributed through this ini- tiative during the past seven years, the USCA Board of Directors recently approved the acquisition of 24 more sheets of stones from Kay’s of Scotland (
www.kaysofscotland.co.uk) through the WCF. The stones are expected to be ready for distribution to clubs this summer. Nominations for the 2012-13 USCA Volunteer of the Year Award are
now being accepted. Tis award was developed to recognize and encourage contributions to the sport at the club level. Primary consideration will be given to volunteer work nominees performed in their home clubs during the 2012-13 season. All members of the USCA are eligible for nomination with the exception of current USCA board members and employees of USA Curling. Completed applications must be submitted to USA Curling by 5 p.m. CST on Friday, June 14, 2013, to be eligible for consideration. Nomina- tion forms are posted on the USCA website. If you would like more information about either of these programs, con-
tact Kim Nawyn, Growth & Development Manager, at (715) 344-1199, Ext. 203, or
kim.nawyn@
usacurl.org. n
// EIGHT-ENDERS Oklahoma Curling Club Te first eight-ender in the history of the Oklahoma Curling Club was
scored on Nov. 4, 2012, by the rink of Mark Ngo, Sharon Jorski, Emily Val- entine, and Ronald Conlon. Te team caught a lucky break when their op- ponents tapped out one of their own stones, leaving an open draw for eight. Te skip, who had only been curling since July 2011, admitted that the shot was “pretty nerve wracking.” Conlon, an experienced curler of 40+ years and current club president, picked the right night to sub on this team. It was also his first eight-ender.
Chicago Curling Club Team Bergman scored an eight-enter on Jan. 3, 2013, during the first
game of the Presidents Event at the Chicago Curling Club. Te team com- prised of Steve Bergman, Lloyd Yanis, Fraser Lockhart, and Jeff Hetrick was able to capitalize on the opposing team’s attempt to aggressively play for a steal. Aſter the opposing skip placed his final shot, Bergman was faced with a difficult takeout. Te shooter had to cross the nose of the opposing stone and hit at exactly 7 o’clock to avoid losing the shooter and/or removing any of their own stones from the house. Concerned his last shot was narrow, Bergman credits his front end with “an awesome job of holding the rock out and making perfect 7 o’clock contact.” To see photos of eight-enders, check out the digital edition of this Curl-
ing News.
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