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What’s happening with Coach Glenn and his Little Rocks program this season? In this episode, he tells you about his club's recent Open House as well as his curling plans this fall, including an update about the podcast!

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

East York Curling Club (Toronto, ON) Web site:
East York Curling Club - Home

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/

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

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What does youth curling look like in Scotland? In this episode, I have a conversation with Scott Dakers, from Livingston, Scotland, just outside of Edinburgh. We talk about his experience working with the Gogar Park Young Curlers at Curl Edinburgh, the competitive pathway, as well as how success in Beijing affected their junior program.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* An introduction to the junior curling program at Curl Edinburgh (2:59)
* Who coaches the kids on the ice? (8:48)
* How do new kids join their program? (13:27)
* Three fun drills ("Your Side," "Short Curling" & "Box") for kids (19:18)
* Advice for coaches who want to use video with kids (21:52)
* The "Performance Pathway" for competitive curlers (24:51)
* Young curlers play with many other curlers at different competitions (28:03)
* Importance of having coaches on the ice during youth competitions (31:31)
* Scott's "It's My Call" Drill where they visualize the shot they're making (32:47)
* Effect of Scottish success at the Beijing 2022 Olympics on Scott's junior program (35:53)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Curl Edinburgh Web site
https://www.edinburghcurling.co.uk/

Gogar Park Young Curlers FB Web site
https://www.facebook.com/Gogar-Park-Young-Curlers-163371907682343/

"Ice Diamond Award" citation for Jenny Barr ( 2022 Scottish Curling Awards)
https://www.scottishcurling.org/2022-scottish-curling-awards-make-your-vote-count/

Scottish Curling Skill Awards
https://www.scottishcurling.org/development/junior-curling/skill-awards/

"Drills & Coaching Aids" Resource Page (Scottish Curling Web site)
https://www.scottishcurling.org/resources/coaching-resources/drills-coaching-aids/

British Curling Performance Pathway
https://www.britishcurling.org.uk/about/performance-pathway/

Scott's E-mail Address: [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 us a text

In the Spring of 2022, Curling Canada introduced the “All Heart Junior Curler Award.” Young people are encouraged to create curling programs that focus on diversity and inclusivity. The 8 winners will receive a monetary award that is split between themselves and their club.

In this episode, I have a conversation with Karsten Sturmay of Edmonton, Alberta. We talk about how he got involved with the creation of this award, how it differs from the "For The Love of Curling" scholarships, and what his curling plans are for next season.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* A Diversity & Inclusivity Program Plan is part of the application for this award (2:51)
* What type of "diversity" are they seeking? (8:17)
* How it differs from the "For The Love Of Curling" Scholarships (12:30)
* What can applicants to do increase their odds? (16:01)
* Why are the awards called the "All Heart" awards? (18:24)
* Karsten's involvement with Kidsport Alberta (24:07)
* Curling programs are eligible for Kidsport funding! (27:27)
* What Team Karsten Sturmay will look like in 2022-23 (28:40)
* What Karsten likes to do in the curling off-season (31:42)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

All Heart Junior Curlers Awards (Curling Canada Web site)
https://www.curling.ca/foundation/youth-scholarships/

Kidsport Canada
https://kidsportcanada.ca/

Karsten's Social Media
TW & IG: @k_sturmay

Team Karsten Sturmay
FB: @TeamKarstenSturmay
TW & IG: @ Team_Sturmay

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/

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In October of 2020, the Coaches Association of Ontario launched a Web site called "Safe Sport 101." This month, the CAO has launched an 8-part e-learning series as a follow-up to that Web site. In this episode, I welcome back Eric McLoughlin to learn more about this series.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* What is "Safe Sport" and why is it important for coaches? (1:52)
* What is the "Safe Sport 101 Playbook"? (5:27)
* A deeper dive into one of the modules, "Punishment & Discipline" (10:32)
* An example from the TV show "Ted Lasso" (12:15)
* An example from Eric's own curling experience! (14:55)
* The essence of coaching (18:03)
* A practical exercise for fostering positive team dynamics (22:00)
* What is the CAO and its mandate? (27:37)
* What part of Eric's curling game does he want to improve next season? (31:02)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

"Safe Sport 101 Playbook" Web site:
https://safesport101.coachesontario.ca/playbook/

"Safe Sport 101: A New Resource For Coaches With CAO's Eric McLoughlin" - Ep. 28 of Coaching Kids Curling (Oct 25/20)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/6045700

"Lessons From 'Ted Lasso' With Kim Tuck & Sean Stevinson" - Ep. 82 of Coaching Kids Curling (Apr 17/22)
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/10455818

Eric's E-mail Address: [email protected]

CAO Phone Number: (416) 426-7086

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

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May is #AsianHeritageMonth in Canada.  What's it like being a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person Of Colour) coach in a predominantly white sport? In this episode, Coach Glenn shares a personal story after reading a Facebook comment about diversity in curling.

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

"How We Can Make Curling A Truly Diverse Game/A Donnovan Bennett Essay" video from Sportsnet (May 6/22)
https://youtu.be/HiQ6ORC40Gk

Curling Canada Diversity & Inclusivity Web Page
https://www.curling.ca/diversity-inclusivity/

USA Curling Diversity & Inclusion Web Page
https://www.usacurling.org/diversity-inclusion

Black Rock Initiative Web Site
https://bricurling.ca/

Global Initiative For DEI In Curling Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/GlobalCurlingDEI/

Goldline Curling #UnitedWeCurl
https://blog.goldlinecurling.com/category/unitedwecurl/

"Changing The Face Of Curling" Symposium, Niagara Falls (May 26-28/22)
https://www.curling.ca/about-curling/business-of-curling/

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/

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

Support the show

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THE "CURLING AS A KID & BEYOND!" SERIES: Episode #6

This episode is part of a series where I interview current and former competitive curlers to find out how they grew to love the sport of curling as a young person. In addition, I'll ask some of them what it's like to coach young people. And, in other cases, I'll ask them what it's like having their own children in the sport.

Johnson Tao is a silver medallist at the 2022 Canadian U21 Curling Championships. He also curls for the University of Alberta and is one of the winners of the 2021 “For The Love Of Curling” Scholarships given out by Curling Canada. In this interview, we talk about how he attended the Vancouver Olympics at age 7 and how that sparked his interest in curling. We talk about how he coached his own high school team in Richmond, B.C. Then we talk about what it means to be a competitive curler who is also Chinese-Canadian.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* How watching the curling at Vancouver 2010 led to him joining a junior curling program (3:57)
* The first time he visited a curling club (5:28)
* What was it about the sport that he enjoyed? (7:56)
* His first competitive team (10:44)
* Coaching his high school team (13:27)
* How he was recruited to the University of Alberta (17:15)
* What does a "typical curler" look like? (22:20)
* How to get more BIPOC curlers into clubs (24:20)
* Johnson's "curling idol" (27:28)
* RAPID-FIRE QUESTION SECTION (28:36) including Mother's Day greeting (33:01)
* Johnson's new hobby (33:33)
* THE BIG QUESTION: How do we get kids to fall in love with the sport of curling and stay with it for the long-term? (34:18)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Richmond (B.C.) Curling Club Web site
https://richmondcurling.com/

University of Alberta Varsity Curling
https://bearsandpandas.ca/sports/curling

Vancouver Curling Club Web site
https://vancurl.com/

"Fiesta" by IZ*ONE Music Video
https://youtu.be/eDEFolvLn0A

Johnson's IG: @jtaotaotao
Team Tao IG & FB: @TeamTao
Johnson's E-mail Address: [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

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Last February, we held our first-ever dream practice draft. In this episode, the draft participants return to the podcast to re-evaluate our picks and to find out who won the popular vote.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* Which "dream practice" (besides our own) would we have voted for? (3:47)
* Which draft picks were we jealous of? (8:47)
* Practice ideas that we used at our own practices (14:51)
* The ideas we left "on the table" (21:40)
* How our "Honourable Mention" winner got their "celebrity guest" to vote for them (29:41)
* The first-ever winner of the 2022 "Dream Practice Draft" (34:02)
* What new idea will you bring to your practices next season? (37:59)

2022 DREAM PRACTICE DRAFT WINNERS

HONOURABLE MENTION:
TEAM TENIELLE
Warmup: “Warmup Bingo”
Song: “Hooked On A Feeling” by Blue Swede
Delivery Drill: “Yummy/Yucky” AKA “Have You Ever?” – Line kids up at sideboard. If they respond positively to a statement (e.g., “Do you like pizza?”) they slide across to other sideline. Otherwise, they stay still. They end up sliding back and forth.
Sweeping Drill: Progressive Hog Line Drill
Game: The “Howard Game” – No takeouts
Snack: Hot Dogs and Fruit Kebabs
Celebrity Guest: Marc Kennedy @Leftykenbear

OVERALL CHAMPION:
TEAM MIKE
Warmup: @justdancegame
Song: “Blinding Lights” by @theweeknd
Delivery Drill: Spin-A-Rama
https://bit.ly/3CWdDbv
Sweeping Drill: Cornbrooms! Kids will realize how easier it is to sweep with current brooms ;-)
Game: “12-Foot” – Rocks only count in the 12-foot circle
Snack: Donuts! (a) Boston Cream w/ Icing Handle & (b) Vanilla Glazed with a “House" (@TimHortons)
Celebrity Guest: @jeffstoughton

Draft Participant contact info:

Patrick Brown, Uxbridge CC (ON)
Twitter: @garnetcanoe

Tenielle Bachek, Okotoks CC (AB)
Twitter: @BachekTenielle
E-mail: [email protected]

Michelle Hunt, Royal City CC (New Westminster, BC)
Twitter: @littlekidscurl

Glenn Gabriel (Pickering, ON), East York CC (Toronto, ON)
Twitter: @kidscurling
E-mail: [email protected]

Mike Gregotski, High Park Club (Toronto, ON)
Twitter: @mgregotski

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

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Who teaches people how to curl at your club? In many clubs, it’s an ongoing challenge to find people who are interested, qualified and available to teach new curlers. That also applies to those who coach and instruct young people. In this episode, I interview Delores McCallum, Tim McChesney & Helen Garside of the Oakville Curling Club in Oakville, Ontario. They were all involved with in establishing Oakville’s “Instructor Co-Op,” an instruction team that was founded to solve some of the challenges they experienced when it came to recruiting and training new coaches.

NOTE: This conversation was recorded in March 2022.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* Why was the Instructor Co-Op founded? (3:05)
* What kind of person makes a good instructor? (5:46)
* What image is the Co-Op trying to convey? (12:34)
* How did they pick the colour of their jackets - and what lesson did that teach Delores about the Co-Op? (19:41)
* Why are the coaches paid? (22:37)
* A summary of youth programs at Oakville this season (28:48)
* When did they realize that the Co-Op was a good idea? (31:44)
* What advice would they have for clubs who want to start their own instruction teams? (36:03)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Oakville (Ont.) Curling Club Web site
https://oakvillecurlingclub.com/

Adult Learn To Curl ("ALTC") Program via Ontario Curling Council Web site
https://ontariocurlingcouncil.com/blog/club-development-2/adult-learn-to-curl-altc-program/

Helen's E-mail Address: [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 us a text

In August of 2020, Apple TV+ released the first season of Ted Lasso, the story of an American football coach who is hired to manage a soccer team in the English Premier League. After two seasons and 22 episodes, the show is a runaway hit, winning 7 Primetime Emmy awards in 2021, including “Outstanding Comedy Series.” In this episode, I speak with Sean Stevinson of Lafayette, Colorado, and Kim Tuck of Strathroy, Ontario. The three of us have a conversation about the lessons we can take from “Ted Lasso” and use in our youth programs.

NOTE: This conversation was recorded in late January 2022.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* Introductions for Sean (1:50) & Kim (2:04)
* Show summary (2:40)
* First lessons: Kim (3:54), Sean (5:34) & Glenn (6:58)
* Kim's 2nd lesson - Getting joy back into the game (9:05)
* Sean's 2nd lesson - Importance of trust (13:30)
* Kim's favourite character (17:55)
* Glenn's 2nd lesson - Take your athletes' concerns seriously! (19:55)
* Sean's favourite characters (22:53)
* Kim's other favourite character (24:34)
* Glenn's favourite characters (26:10)
* Curling update from Sean (28:48)
* Curling update from Kim (30:04)
* What else is everyone watching? (30:41)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

"Ted Lasso" Wikipedia page
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Lasso

Rock Creek Curling (Lafayette, CO) Web site
https://rockcreekcurling.com/

Sean's E-mail Address: [email protected]

Kim's TW: @HoglineSally

Team Tuck FB Page: @teamtuckmixeddbls

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

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Since 1989, the Ray Kingsmith Memorial Bonspiel is held every December in the Greater Calgary Area of Alberta. The bonspiel is one of the oldest, most prestigious junior bonspiels in the country with arguably the biggest prize purse. In this episode, I speak with Andy Jones of the Calgary Youth Curling Association (CYCA) and Marlene Kingsmith, Ray's daughter. We talk about the history of the bonspiel, the life of its namesake, the CYCA, and why the prize money doubled at the most recent "Kingsmith" in December 2021.

NOTE: Both interviews were recorded in late January and early February 2022.

Some of the topics we discuss:
* Bonspiel details and basic history (1:57)
* How did Andy get involved in the first place? (5:16)
* What is the CYCA? (7:45)
* How the CYCA dealt with COVID (12:07)
* What makes the "Kingsmith" special? (15:52)
* Jim's version of Marlene's prize money story (17:28)
* Marlene: What was Ray like as a dad? (23:39)
* Ray loved sports besides curling (26:03)
* .Why did Ray love curling? (30:40)
* Marlene accompanied her dad to Switzerland for the 1974 Silver Broom (31:49)
* Her experience at the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics (33:42)
* Parents and organizers make the "Kingsmith" special (39:06)
* Marlene's version of the prize money story (42:07)
* What would Ray think of the bonspiel created in his name? (44:50)
* Ray Kingsmith posthumously wins the World Curling Federation's Freytag Award (45:45) & a funny story about the award ceremony in Regina (46:58)

Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:

Calgary Youth Curling Association (& "Kingsmith" bonspiel details)
https://cyca.curling.io

2021 Kingsmith news article "Team Wipf wins CYAC Ray Kingsmith Memorial" on the Cochrane Now Web site (Dec 31/21)
https://cochranenow.com/articles/team-wipf-wins-cyac-ray-kingsmith-memorial

Ray Kingsmith's entry on the Curling Canada Hall of Fame Web site:
https://www.curling.ca/hof/people/kingsmith-raymond-a-ray/

World Curling Federation Freytag Award Recipients
http://worldcurling.org/awards/freytag/

"Sticks and Stones" Documentary (2014) on YouTube
https://youtu.be/FRiMLH3n3mA

"Sticks 'n' Stones" Book (2021) by Warren Hansen
https://www.warrenhansenauthor.com/about-the-book.html

Andy's E-mail Address: [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