GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT // REPORTS FROM THE WARM ROOM
Walking on ice in sneakers
By Kim Nawyn, USCA Growth & Development Manager
that I fell backward on the ice and hit my head (thankfully, no concussion). With this as my first significant curling memory, I should not have been surprised when, earlier this season, a curler expressed concern that her club was losing many potential adult members because they did not feel secure walking on the ice surface. Visiting clubs around the country, I have had the opportunity to observe
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various procedures for introducing people to the sport. I was initially taught to deliver a stone donning a blue hospital bootie on my slider foot. Aſter enrolling in learn-to-curl classes, I graduated from the bootie to duct tape on my sneaker and eventually a Teflon slider. In contrast, many clubs skip the first two options and start all able-bodied participants on Teflon sliders. In order to save wear and tear on their club’s supply of slip-on sliders and
give new curlers more control, club members at the Nutmeg Curling Club in Bridgeport, Conn., make step-on sliders out of cardboard and duct tape. Adult members trace their shoes on corrugated cardboard. Ten, they cover the entire cutout (both sides) in duct tape. Te sliders can be used by either right-handed or leſt-handed curlers. Te cost is minimal, and the club can make more whenever they begin to show wear and tear. Each season, I hear reports of at least one curler who fell at an open
house, learn-to-curl class, or corporate event and required stitches/staples or suffered a concussion. When I teach rookies to curl at a club with a large supply of grippers, I ask them to put a gripper on each foot anytime they are walking on the ice (not delivering a stone). One arena club without a supply of club grippers offered a tip to use in a pinch. Tey store a bag of thick elas- tic bands in their home arena. Te bands can be wrapped around especially slippery sneakers to give participants a little more traction. In addition to concerns about walking on ice, some new curlers are vocal
about pain in their knees when squatting down to participate in exercises teaching grip, turn, and release. Te Wausau Curling Club tries to address this issue by laying carpet squares on the ice, thereby affording participants the opportunity to kneel rather than squat during such training sessions. Te carpet squares were donated by a local flooring store getting rid of sam- ples from discontinued stock. Te club also has a supply of knee sliders and knee pads to help prevent bruising on participants who are unable to liſt the knee of their trailing leg off the ice while sliding. When I meet community members who mention they went curling one
time only, I oſten inquire as to why they did not join the club. A response from a nurse working in an area hospital stuck with me. She said, “I didn’t think that women could actually pull a groin muscle!” She went on to ex- plain that she should have thought to warm up before “getting in that split position on the ice.” As the sliding position is not natural for many people
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usacurl.org
wore Converse sneakers to the first open house I attended at the Ard- sley Curling Club. Any inexperienced curler who has ever attempted to play in similar footwear would probably not be surprised to learn
who attend curling events, it’s impor- tant for clubs to remind them to loosen up prior to getting on the ice through use of dynamic rather than static stretching. Looking ahead to the tens of thou-
sands of people who will likely try curling for the first time following the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, experienced club members may want to think back to how they felt the first time they were out on the curling ice. Take a walk on the ice in clean sneakers, or try sliding on the opposite foot. Re- membering what it is like to be a new curler can help club members as they think about how to make the learn-to-curl experience “user-friendly” for new recruits.
Member Benefits update Te USCA is proud to announce that the organization was once again
selected to administer the Darwin Curtis Fund grant program on behalf of Te Chicago Community Trust for the 2013-14 season. Te Darwin Cur- tis Fund was established to “support and encourage participation by the general public in the sport of curling ...” Curling clubs with 501(c)(3) not- for-profit status, as well as other 501(c)(3) organizations looking to grow the sport, are encouraged to apply for funding. Grant applications will be accepted in two categories: Growth & Development and Bricks & Mortar. Funding requests can range from $1,000 to $20,000, with a total of $20,000 to be distributed during the 2013-14 grant cycle. Clubs receiving grant sup- port during the 2012-13 funding cycle will not be eligible during 2013-14. If you are interested in applying for funding through this program, please
complete the application posted on the USA Curling website,
www.usacurl. org. All application materials must be submitted in full by 5 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 14, 2013, to be considered. Contact Kim Nawyn, Growth & Development Manager, at
kim.nawyn@
usacurl.org or (715) 344-1199, Ext. 203, with any questions. n
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