Coaching Kids Curling

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After 99 episodes, I decided to do something completely different for this 100th episode of my podcast. You're going to hear from more than 30 curling coaches, organizers and parents, all answering the same question: What advice do YOU have to make our youth curling programs better?

Podcast Contributors (in order of appearance):
(4:19) Abbie Darnley, Stroud CC Little Rocks (ON)
(5:07) Amélie Blais, Passion Curling
(5:46) Andrea Ronnebeck, Kenora CC (ON)
(6:30) Andy Jones, Calgary (AB)
(7:03) Bill Tschirhart, "A Pane In The Glass" Podcast
(8:45) Brandon Shintani, Mind-Design Sports
(9:20) Cheryl Rajala, Sudbury (ON)
(9:53) Christopher Summers, Royal City CC (BC)
(10:26) Delores McCallum (ON)
(11:14) Greg Wilson, Brantford G&CC (ON)
(11:40) Jonathan Penney, Cincinnati CC (Ohio, USA)
(14:34) Jennifer Ferris, Ontario Curling Council
(15:11) Helen Garside, Oakville CC (ON)
(15:31) Kevin Campbell, Dixie CC (ON)
(15:55) Marlene Kingsmith on behalf of Ray Kingsmith (AB)
(16:56) Mike Gregotski, High Park Club Little Rocks (ON)
(18:20) Michelle Hunt, Royal City CC Little Rocks (BC)
(18:39) Mike Peplinski, USA Curling
(19:03) Monica Walker, Broomstones CC (Mass., USA)
(20:14) Pearl Quan, Chinguacousy CC (ON)
(21:16) Raymond Ho, East York CC Juniors (ON)
(22:03) Scott Dakers, Curl Edinburgh (Scotland)
(22:28) Ryan Lafreniere, Laurentian University (ON)
(23:08) Sabena Islam, Cataraqui G&CC (ON)
(24:02) Sean Stevinson, Rock Creek Curling (Co., USA)
(24:39) Stephen Bruneau, Brighton & District CC (ON)
(25:16) Stephanie Thompson, "Empowered Performance For Curlers" Podcast
(27:14) Tenielle Bachek, Okotoks CC (AB) - 3 pieces of advice!
(32:28) Tim McChesney, Oakville CC (ON) - 2 pieces of advice!
(35:18) Warren Hansen, "Inside Curling" Podcast
(37:35) Josh Mudrick, East York CC Juniors (ON)
(41:34) Glenn Gabriel, East York CC Little Rocks (ON)
(47:10) A SURPRISE GUEST! (Pickering, ON)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Global Initiative For DEI In Curling Web site
https://academy.globalcurlingdei.org

Ep.81: "Ray Kingsmith Memorial Bonspiel With Andy Jones & Marlene Kingsmith" (Apr 10/22)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/10411724

Ep.83: "Oakville (ON) CC's Instructor Co-Op With Delores McCallum, Tim McChesney & Helen Garside" (Apr 24/22)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/10491089

"Simone's World" Cartoon by Raymond Ho
https://eastyorkcurling.ca/index.php/simone-s-world

"A Pane In The Glass" Podcast
https://apaneintheglasspodcast.buzzsprout.com/

"Empowered Performance For Curlers" Podcast
https://empoweredperformance.ca/podcast/#

"Inside Curling" Podcast
https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/inside-curling/

East York Curling Club (Toronto, ON) Web site
https://eastyorkcurling.ca/

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach and coach developer who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send us an e-mail at [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This podcast episode uses:  "Bike, Bell Ding, Single, 01-0

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What do you do when the biggest snowstorm of the season comes on the same day as your youth bonspiel? For Alison Harris of Tam Heather Curling & Tennis Club in Toronto, she had to react quickly. Find out what she did the night before the bonspiel and what she did to reschedule her event later that season. We also talk about the unique format of the “Curling Day At Tam Heather” bonspiel and her plans for the 2023-2024 season.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* In-person interview with Alison on April 8, the rescheduled bonspiel day  (1:22-5:20)
* 30+cm of snow starts coming down March 3rd, the day before the bonspiel (6:41)
* Who was responsible for communicating the cancellation with coaches, players and club staff? (10:40)
* Finding an alternate date for the bonspiel quickly (12:52)
* Did the change in date affect any aspects of the bonspiel? (15:07)
* Advice for bonspiel organizers handling weather cancellations (16:35)
* Alison's plans for the 2023-2024 season: Coaching a U15 team! (19:47)
* What is the most important part of a youth bonspiel? (22:46)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Tam Heather Curling & Tennis Club (Toronto, ON, Canada)
https://tamheather.ca/

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach and coach developer who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send us an e-mail at [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Support the show

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When I (Coach Glenn) teach new people how to curl, I often tell them that it took me "TWO YEARS to figure this out." What took me 2 years to figure out? Find out in this episode… (Hint: I had a breakthrough in my curling delivery!)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

CKC Episode #41: "How I Met My Wife: A Valentine's Day Story"
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/7853596

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach and coach developer who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send an e-mail to [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This podcast episode uses:  "Bike, Bell Ding, Single, 01-01.wav"
By InspectorJ (http://www.jshaw.co.uk)
Of Freesound.org (http://Freesound.org)

Support the show

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In our last episode, I was joined by Mike Gregotski of High Park Club in Toronto and Mike Smith of Lindsay Curling Club. We shared strategies to help manage different ages and skill levels in our youth curling programs. In Part 2, we let loose! We continue our discussion of "Hit Draw Tap," talk about practice structure, obsess over attendance, and share our plans for the end of the curling season.

NOTE: Interview recorded February 13/23

Some of the topics we discuss:
* The "behind the scenes" work organizing "Hit Draw Tap" (1:02)
* East York Little Rocks uses "stations" for practice (2:19)
* "Structure builds success" for practice planning (6:00)
* Promoting older "Little Rocks" curlers to Junior program (13:04)
* High Park Mike: Put the kid in the place "where they'll have the most success" (20:13)
* Lindsay Mike: Kids that enjoy your program will be your "best recruiters" (22:53)
* East York's "Try Curling" Event in March 2023 and Coach Glenn's son will be there! (28:27)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

High Park Club (Toronto, Ont.) Web site
https://www.highparkclub.com/

Lindsay (Ont.) Curling Club Web site
https://www.lindsaycurling.com

Mike Smith's E-mail:
[email protected]

Mike Gregotski's E-mail:
[email protected]

Mike G's Twitter handle:
@mgregotski

"Hit Draw Tap" Curling Canada Web site
https://www.curling.ca/hitdrawtap/

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach and coach developer who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send us an e-mail at [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Support the show

Send a text

Early in 2023, I set up a Zoom call for several youth coaches in the Greater Toronto Area. We were there to talk about practice ideas and it was a successful meetup. Some of us wanted to do a follow-up, but I was at a loss for a topic to discuss.

That's when I heard from Mike Smith of the Lindsay (Ont.) Curling Club. He wanted to know how other people handled a wide range of kids with different ages, skill levels and experience. How do you run a curling program that fits all those kids?

Mike Gregotski, longtime friend of the podcast from High Park Club, joined us on Zoom. But our conversation didn't just stay in one place – we talked about other topics like "Hit Draw Tap," youth in adult leagues and the fun of youth bonspiels. This episode is Part 1 of a 2-part series.

NOTE: Interview recorded February 13/23

Some of the topics we discuss:
* How a 13-year-old potential curler motivated "Lindsay Mike" to start a conversation about managing different ages and skill levels (3:11)
* Lindsay Mike's "Learn To Skate" story (5:19)
* High Park's youth practice structure (8:42)
* Lindsay Curling Club's youth practice structure (13:44)
* Lindsay Mike coaches on his own! (18:38)
* East York's youth practice structure (21:05)
* Lindsay Mike gets youth into adult leagues (24:05)
* How "High Park Mike" divides the kids on the ice based on age/experience (29:53)
* How Lindsay Mike divides the kids in his program (33:21)
* The challenge of using "Hit Draw Tap" in our programs this season (36:02)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

High Park Club (Toronto, Ont.) Web site
https://www.highparkclub.com/

Lindsay (Ont.) Curling Club Web site
https://www.lindsaycurling.com

"Hit Draw Tap" Curling Canada Web site
https://www.curling.ca/hitdrawtap/

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach and coach developer who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send us an e-mail at [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This podcast episode uses: "buttonchime02up.wav"
By JustinBW of Freesound.org (http://Freesound.org)

Support the show

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They call curling “Chess On Ice.” But the actual game of chess is something that means a lot to me and my family. In this special Father’s Day episode, I explain how chess connects me, my dad and my son.

Part #1: My dad teaches me the game (1:30)
Part #2: I teach my son the game (4:04)
Part #3: My son teaches me a lesson! (6:52)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Code Ninjas
https://www.codeninjas.com/

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach and coach developer who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send an e-mail to [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This podcast episode uses:  "Bike, Bell Ding, Single, 01-01.wav"
By InspectorJ (http://www.jshaw.co.uk)
Of Freesound.org (http://Freesound.org)

Support the show

Send a text

Many sports run camps for kids during the summer vacation, but it's rare for curling. Oakville (Ont.) Curling Club, just west of Toronto, will be running its youth camp in late August. In this episode, I speak with camp director Stephanie Thompson about the camp itself and what she hopes to accomplish this summer. We'll also talk about camps in general and what kids can get out of this experience. (Interview recorded May 10/23)

Some of the topics we discuss:
* Basics of the Oakville "Summer On Ice" Youth Camp (1:25)
* Camp curriculum (6:06)
* How fitness is incorporated into the camp (13:37)
* Who's teaching the kids? (20:15)
* Why go to camp? (26:17)
* Stephanie found junior teammates at camp (32:06)
* What does Stephanie want kids to get out of camp? (33:48)
* Steph's World Curling Academy virtual workshops (38:43)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Oakville Curling Club "Summer On Ice" Youth Curling Camp
https://oakvillecurlingclub.com/index.php/125-front-page/418-youth-summer-camp

World Curling Academy
https://www.worldcurlingacademy.org

Trillium Curling Camp (Waterloo, ON)
http://trilliumcurlingcamp.com/

"Our Critique of the LTAD Model & Standardized Testing" (Ep.12 of the Empowered Performance for Curlers Podcast, Jul 31/21)
https://empoweredperformance.ca/podcasts/episode-12-our-critique-of-the-long-term-athlete-development-model-and-standardized-testing/

2023 Webinars & Workshops - Empowered Performance
https://empoweredperformance.ca/2023-webinars-workshops/

Stephanie Thompson IG handle:
@empoweredperformance

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach and coach developer who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send us an e-mail at [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Support the show

Send a text

If you're a youth curling coach in Ontario, you've probably heard of the two summer youth curling camps: Trillium & Amethyst. In this episode, Sean Turriff from the Ontario Curling Council shares details about the 2023 versions of these two camps. (Interview recorded Feb 1/23)

Some of the topics we discuss:
* What are the Trillium & Amethyst camps? (2:24)
* Who is this camp for? (4:47)
* Who are the coaches? (6:23)
* What would you say to a potential new camper? (9:41)
* The cost and what you get for that price (13:01)
* Confirmed "celebrity" coaches for 2023 (15:06)
* How to register for the camps (20:26)
* Sean's first experience at Trillium (21:27)
* What is the Ontario Curling Council? (24:26)

NOTE: The Ontario Curling Council is holding a “BIPOC Summer Curling Camp Lottery.” Three young curlers who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour, will have their registration fees for the Trillium or Amethyst Curling Camps paid for, thanks to a grant from Curling Canada. The deadline to enter the lottery is March 13th, 2023. Winners will be chosen at random and contacted directly.

Summer Curling Camp Lottery - BIPOC Youth
https://ontariocurlingcouncil.com/blog/2023/02/summer-curling-camp-lottery-bipoc-youth/

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Amethyst Curling Camp, North Bay, ON (July 2023)
https://ontariocurlingcouncil.com/blog/amethyst-curling-camp/

Trillium Curling Camp, Waterloo, ON (August 2023)
http://trilliumcurlingcamp.com/

Sean Turriff e-mail: [email protected]

Matt Murdoch Curling Foundation
https://www.mattmurdochcurlingfoundation.co.uk/

Ontario Curling Council
https://ontariocurlingcouncil.com

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach and coach developer who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send us an e-mail at [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Support the show

Send a text

If you have a child that is active in other sports besides curling, you might know of sports where they test their skill levels and earn badges or pins or certificates. For years in Ontario, we had a program called the "Skill Awards" where kids, having learned certain curling skills, would earn a badge that they could sew on their jacket or sweater.

In today's episode, I speak with Beth Iskiw from Edmonton, Alberta. Beth has been involved with the development of a new national skills award program for Curling Canada called “RockStars.” We explain what the program is about, what feedback they’ve received from the pilot program, and how youth program organizers can get more information about it.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* What is the RockStars Awards Program? (1:58)
* Lesson plans come included in the RockStars binder (4:52)
* Assessment anxiety for the kids (7:40)
* Report cards/Achievement reports (9:11)
* Sample lesson plan (12:07)
* A fun drill for kids that Beth learned (15:13)
* How to get a copy of the RockStars Program (17:03)
* The lessons have visual diagrams (21:27) and links to Curling Canada videos (22:16)
* What was the transition from competitive curler to youth coach? (23:51)
* Beth's advice to youth curling coaches (25:55)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Ellerslie Curling Club (Edmonton, Alta.) Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/ellersliecurling/

RockStars e-mail: [email protected]

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send us an e-mail at [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Support the show

Send a text

No matter which club or facility you curl at, the start of the season is an exciting time. Chances are it’s been a few months since you last saw the kids in your program, not to mention the volunteers and parents. And with your first practice approaching quickly, you’re thinking about what you need to do to prepare for “Day One."

In this episode, I have a conversation with two youth program organizers from Ontario: Abbie Darnley from the Stroud Curling Club and Maggie Dame from the Ilderton Curling Club. The three of us share what we do to get ready for the new season and what to expect on that first day.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* Background information about our clubs, youth programs and start dates (2:20)
* Question #1: What's one thing you do to prepare for your youth program in advance of "Day One"? (7:05)
* Question #2: What's one thing that a new youth coach can expect on Day One? (18:59)
* Maggie's first-ever "Day One" last season (24:11)
* Do we check equipment prior to Day One? (29:41)
* Snacks! (32:02)
* Where do we get our volunteers? (35:46)
* How will we know that Day One is a success? (39:51)
* The 2023 is in London, Ontario, which is near the Ilderton CC (42:34)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Ilderton (Ont.) Curling Club
https://ildertoncurlingclub.com/

Ilderton (ON) Junior Program e-mail address: [email protected]

Stroud Curling Club (Innisfil, ON)
https://stroudcc.com/

Brier 2023
https://www.curling.ca/2023brier/

Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurling

Glenn Gabriel is an NCCP-certified curling coach who lives in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He has been the coordinator of the Little Rocks (U12) program at East York Curling Club in Toronto since 2011. If you have a question or feedback on the podcast, send us an e-mail at [email protected]

The intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunrise

By Josh Woodward
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward

Licensed under CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Support the show