More than a dozen years ago, a physical education teacher in a local elementary school was offering an introduction to curling during her winter program. There were some limitations in terms of what they could learn, since the Grade 3 students were confined to their gymnasium. Some innovative thinking directed the teacher to the Hudson Legion Curling Club. There was no hesitation from the Club to offer the ice time and the daytime curlers, known as Hardy Rocks, became the volunteer instructors.
The first session was a spectacular success with two classes thoroughly enjoying their first experience on a curling rink. Within two years, nine schools were participating in the program. As with life in general during the COVID epidemic, the program was put on hold but is now rebuilding. Several schools will take to the ice this year and it is expected that it will not be long before all the schools will return.
The students arrive by bus normally by 9:00 and generally number from 42-48. Their first reaction is certainly fun to watch because very few of them have ever been to a curling rink. They have been divided into two groups and each will have an hour on the ice. Following an introduction to their instructors and comments about ice safety, the first group of mini-curlers don their helmets and into the rink they go.
There are normally 8 volunteers and they assist the students with all the aspects of the program. When they are in the hacks, there is one person to teach and another to retrieve the rocks.
The students are given an opportunity to learn curling etiquette, the basics of curling and practice some of the elements of their gymnasium program on the ice. Included are:
- Stepping safely on and off the ice.
- Taking a tour of the rink using their “slidey” foot, to which plastic packing tape has been applied to act as a slider.
- Using junior rocks, they learn the feel (and weight!) of the rocks.
- Delivering a rock to their partner across our two sheets of ice. (We protect the boards on the side with pool noodles.)
- Using the four hacks, the students practice draws and take-outs.
- Towards the end of the session, they throw the rocks to the other end of the ice, with interesting results!
- Finally, they gather at the end of the rink and the “house” and the scoring are explained.
There is no shortage of curling club members willing to participate in this program. They are daytime curlers of a senior age and the mixing of the generations is a wonderful experience for everyone. Perhaps the excitement of the kids is contagious; and it is certainly reflected in the comments of the members after each session. And it is not unusual for some parents to attend the session; and they are invited to ‘hold the broom’ for some of the activities.
The popularity of this program has been maintained, and this year it is likely that approximately 250 ‘new curlers’ will take part. And, from its beginning, the program has provided more than 3000 elementary students with their first on-ice curling experience at the Hudson Legion Curling Club.
The opportunity to present this program to the community has had some happy benefits. Each fall there are new members, both juniors and some of the parents who have participated in the elementary school program. While there is no charge for this event, the schools normally send a cheque, which is then used to support the club’s junior curlers.
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