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Ashcroft club entices more junior curlers this year

There were only three junior members at the club last year, and members are trying to change that.
Wendy Coomber
17123ashcroftCurling
Kathy Arnold (second from l) explains where the rocks are in relation to the circles and how points are counted in curling.

There was no sweeping or screaming “Hurry, hurry!” at Cache Creek Elementary School last Tuesday, but there was shouting and laughter as the grade five and six students were introduced to curling by Rocks & Rings instructor Kathy Arnold. “The future of curling is looking great,” she said.

Rocks & Rings is a Curl BC program aimed at getting young people onto curling rinks.

The students line up in an imaginary hack and “throw” plastic rocks on rollers towards a plastic sheet resembling the “house”.

“We’re learning to focus on our grassroots curlers,” said Arnold.

“We’re getting kids interested, than we take them to the rink.”

“It’s fun to work with the kids,” said Delila Chenery, a Cache Creek curler who was assisting Arnold with the CCES students.

Chenery co-ordinated a junior curler program for 16 years on the coast before moving to Cache Creek last year. She’ll be dropping off sign-up sheets at the two schools.

The junior program will run for 12 weeks, from November 8 to December 13 and from January 10 to February 14.

There will be a small drop-in fee, but all the young curlers need are a pair of clean running shoes; all other equipment is provided.

Hilda Jones says the club brought the program into the schools this year to try and boost the number of young players. “If we don’t have the juniors, the club is going to die.”

The club is also offering free curling nights for all ages on October 19 and 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. to try to spark some new interest before the regular season begins.