PARALYMPIC CURLING 2018 National Paralympic Curling Team Pre-Trials on tap By Marc Deperno, USA Curling


Seasons Curling Club, USA Curling’s Olympic Training Site, in Blaine, Minn., Sept. 22-25. Tis event will consist of individual skill shots as well as game play during the U.S. Wheelchair Curling National Bonspiel. Troughout the Pre-Trials, participants will


T


be assessed and given a rank by a Player Selection Committee regarding their curling abilities via skill shot analysis and game play as well as other qualities including on- and off-ice behavior, team dynamics, and practice regimen. Athletes’ prior demonstrated game knowledge and performance will also be recorded, assessed and rated. Te event schedule is as follows:


Tursday, Sept. 22: t Athlete meeting, 9 a.m. t


Skills testing, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.


Friday, Sept. 23: t Athlete meeting, 8:15 a.m. t Wheelchair National Bonspiel, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.


Saturday, Sept. 24: t Wheelchair National Bonspiel, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.


t Banquet reception for all athletes, 5-8 p.m.


Sunday, Sept. 25: t Wheelchair National Bonspiel, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.


t Awards presentation to follow * Additional skills evaluation and interviews may be conducted Tursday-Saturday.


Pre-Trial Selection Committee: t


Steve Brown – U.S. National & Paralym- pic Wheelchair Coach


t Russell Schieber – U.S. National & Para- lympic Assistant Coach


t Marc DePerno – U.S. National Wheel- chair Curling Outreach & Development Program Director


t Anthony Colacchio – Level IV Wheel- chair Curling Instructor


t Tim Kelly – Member, 2012 National Wheelchair Curling Team


Te number of athletes selected to compete at


the 2016-17 National Team Trials from the Pre- Trials Selection Event will depend on the number of athletes who have accepted their direct invita- tion. Te total number of athletes competing at the 2016-17 National Team Trials will be no more


20 usacurl.org ))


he United States Curling Association will host the 2018 National Paralympic Curling Team Pre-Trials at the Four


USA Curling’s Olympic Training Site in Blaine set to host athletes


than 14. Te eight (8) athletes who were members of the


2015-16 National Team will be automatically in- vited to attend the 2016-17 National Team Trials to take place on Nov. 3-6 in Wausau, Wis. Athletes competing at the 2016-17 National


Team Trials will participate in individual skill shots as well as game play. Troughout these Trials, participants will be assessed and given a rank by the Player Selection Committee regard- ing their curling abilities via skill shot analysis and game play as well as other qualities includ- ing on- and off-ice behavior, team dynamics, and practice regimen. Athletes’ prior demonstrated game knowledge and performance will also be recorded, assessed and rated. All athletes com- peting in the 2016-17 National Team Trials will be assessed and ranked by the Player Selection Committee. Te Player Selection Committee will select eight (8) athletes from the top ranked male and female athletes (each gender will be ranked separately) at the end of the competition and those athletes will be named to the 2016-17 National Team. Tese eight (8) athletes will con- tinue to be assessed and evaluated by the Player Selection Committee throughout the 2016-17 season. Prior to Jan. 9, 2017, the Player Selection Com-


mittee will nominate five athletes to the 2017 Na- tional Team to represent USA at the 2017 World Wheelchair Curling Championship taking place on March 4-11 in PyeongChang, South Korea. Additionally, these eight (8) athletes will con-


tinue to be assessed and evaluated by the Player Selection Committee through training and com- petitions in the summer and fall of 2017, leading up to the 2018 Paralympic Team nomination deadline of Dec. 18, 2017. If the Player Selection Committee determines that an athlete is not performing at a level that best allows for com- petitive success of the 2016-17 National Team or 2018 Paralympic Team, then that athlete may be removed from the National Team. Te Player Selection Committee will then name another athlete to the National Team. In removing an


athlete from the National Team, and naming a replacement, in addition to those skills measured pursuant to the Assessment Form, the Player Selection Committee will consider the athlete’s curling abilities via skill shot analysis and game play as well as other qualities including, but not limited to, on- and off-ice behavior, team dynam- ics, and practice regimen and overall competitive readiness. Prior to Dec. 18, 2017, the Player Selection


Committee will meet and nominate five (5) ath- letes to the 2018 Paralympic Team from the pool of eight (8) athletes who are on the 2016-17 Na- tional Team at the time of nomination. Te dead- line for registration was Aug. 19. Te second annual U.S. Wheelchair Curl-


ing National Bonspiel will take place in Blaine, Minn., on Sept. 23-25. All wheelchair curling athletes who have dem-


onstrated the ability to play regulation curling games are encouraged to register for this bon- spiel. Athletes will register into the bonspiel as indi-


viduals (no team entries). All teams will be devel- oped using a draſt system in which current mem- bers of the National High Performance Program will serve as skips and select their teams. Tis will provide for as equally matched teams as pos- sible. Tere will be multiple events (number will be determined based on the number of entries) with all participants receiving an award. All athletes also are eligible to register for the


National Pre-Trials. Registration for the Pre-Tri- als is necessary if you wish to be evaluated to po- tentially qualify for the 2017 and 2018 National Team. Te National Pre-Trials registration from must be completed if you wish to compete in the Pre-Trials. Te bonspiel will serve two functions: 1. To increase wheelchair curling participation


across the country. 2. To provide the National Selection Commit-


tee with an opportunity to evaluate all athletes registered in the 2018 National Paralympic Curl- ing Team Pre-Trials. Te registration deadline for this event also has passed. Q


2018 PWG procedures now available online


Te 2018 Paralympic Winter Games


Team Selection Procedures were finalized in August and are posted on the USA Curling website at www.usacurl.org.


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