Coaching Kids Curling

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 sitehttps://academy.globalcurlingdei.orgEp.81: "Ray Kingsmith Memorial Bonspiel With Andy Jones & Marlene Kingsmith" (Apr 10/22)https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/10411724Ep.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 Hohttps://eastyorkcurling.ca/index.php/simone-s-world"A Pane In The Glass" Podcasthttps://apaneintheglasspodcast.buzzsprout.com/"Empowered Performance For Curlers" Podcasthttps://empoweredperformance.ca/podcast/#"Inside Curling" Podcasthttps://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/inside-curling/East York Curling Club (Toronto, ON) Web sitehttps://eastyorkcurling.ca/Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://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

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: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Support the show

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/1048435/7853596Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://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

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 13/23Some 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 sitehttps://www.highparkclub.com/Lindsay (Ont.) Curling Club Web sitehttps://www.lindsaycurling.comMike Smith's E-mail:lindsayyouthcurling@gmail.comMike Gregotski's E-mail:littlerocks@highparkclub.comMike G's Twitter handle:@mgregotski"Hit Draw Tap" Curling Canada Web sitehttps://www.curling.ca/hitdrawtap/Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Support the show

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 13/23Some 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 sitehttps://www.highparkclub.com/Lindsay (Ont.) Curling Club Web sitehttps://www.lindsaycurling.com"Hit Draw Tap" Curling Canada Web sitehttps://www.curling.ca/hitdrawtap/Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/This podcast episode uses: "buttonchime02up.wav"By JustinBW of Freesound.org (http://Freesound.org)Support the show

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 Ninjashttps://www.codeninjas.com/Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://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

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 Camphttps://oakvillecurlingclub.com/index.php/125-front-page/418-youth-summer-campWorld Curling Academyhttps://www.worldcurlingacademy.orgTrillium 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 Performancehttps://empoweredperformance.ca/2023-webinars-workshops/Stephanie Thompson IG handle:@empoweredperformanceFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Support the show

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 Youthhttps://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: sturriff@ontcurl.comMatt Murdoch Curling Foundationhttps://www.mattmurdochcurlingfoundation.co.uk/Ontario Curling Councilhttps://ontariocurlingcouncil.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Support the show

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 Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/ellersliecurling/RockStars e-mail: RockStars@curling.caFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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 Clubhttps://ildertoncurlingclub.com/Ilderton (ON) Junior Program e-mail address: juniors@ildertoncurlingclub.comStroud Curling Club (Innisfil, ON)https://stroudcc.com/Brier 2023https://www.curling.ca/2023brier/Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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 - HomeFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/This podcast episode uses: "buttonchime02up.wav"By JustinBW of Freesound.org (http://Freesound.org)

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 sitehttps://www.edinburghcurling.co.uk/Gogar Park Young Curlers FB Web sitehttps://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 Awardshttps://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 Pathwayhttps://www.britishcurling.org.uk/about/performance-pathway/Scott's E-mail Address: scottdakers@aol.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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 Canadahttps://kidsportcanada.ca/Karsten's Social MediaTW & IG: @k_sturmayTeam Karsten SturmayFB: @TeamKarstenSturmayTW & IG: @ Team_SturmayFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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/1048435/10455818Eric's E-mail Address: ericm@coachesontario.caCAO Phone Number: (416) 426-7086Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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/HiQ6ORC40GkCurling Canada Diversity & Inclusivity Web Pagehttps://www.curling.ca/diversity-inclusivity/USA Curling Diversity & Inclusion Web Pagehttps://www.usacurling.org/diversity-inclusionBlack Rock Initiative Web Sitehttps://bricurling.ca/Global Initiative For DEI In Curling Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/GlobalCurlingDEI/Goldline Curling #UnitedWeCurlhttps://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: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/This podcast episode uses: "buttonchime02up.wav"By JustinBW of Freesound.org (http://Freesound.org)

THE "CURLING AS A KID & BEYOND!" SERIES: Episode #6This 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 sitehttps://richmondcurling.com/University of Alberta Varsity Curlinghttps://bearsandpandas.ca/sports/curlingVancouver Curling Club Web sitehttps://vancurl.com/"Fiesta" by IZ*ONE Music Videohttps://youtu.be/eDEFolvLn0AJohnson's IG: @jtaotaotaoTeam Tao IG & FB: @TeamTaoJohnson's E-mail Address: jtao0747@gmail.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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 WINNERSHONOURABLE MENTION:TEAM TENIELLEWarmup: “Warmup Bingo”Song: “Hooked On A Feeling” by Blue SwedeDelivery 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 DrillGame: The “Howard Game” – No takeoutsSnack: Hot Dogs and Fruit KebabsCelebrity Guest: Marc Kennedy @LeftykenbearOVERALL CHAMPION:TEAM MIKEWarmup: @justdancegameSong: “Blinding Lights” by @theweekndDelivery Drill: Spin-A-Ramahttps://bit.ly/3CWdDbvSweeping Drill: Cornbrooms! Kids will realize how easier it is to sweep with current brooms ;-)Game: “12-Foot” – Rocks only count in the 12-foot circleSnack: Donuts! (a) Boston Cream w/ Icing Handle & (b) Vanilla Glazed with a “House" (@TimHortons)Celebrity Guest: @jeffstoughtonDraft Participant contact info:Patrick Brown, Uxbridge CC (ON)Twitter: @garnetcanoeTenielle Bachek, Okotoks CC (AB)Twitter: @BachekTenielleE-mail: Okotokscurlingjuniors@gmail.comMichelle Hunt, Royal City CC (New Westminster, BC)Twitter: @littlekidscurlGlenn Gabriel (Pickering, ON), East York CC (Toronto, ON)Twitter: @kidscurlingE-mail: coachingkidscurling@gmail.comMike Gregotski, High Park Club (Toronto, ON)Twitter: @mgregotskiFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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 sitehttps://oakvillecurlingclub.com/Adult Learn To Curl ("ALTC") Program via Ontario Curling Council Web sitehttps://ontariocurlingcouncil.com/blog/club-development-2/adult-learn-to-curl-altc-program/Helen's E-mail Address: helen.garside@mac.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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 pagehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_LassoRock Creek Curling (Lafayette, CO) Web sitehttps://rockcreekcurling.com/Sean's E-mail Address: sean@rockcreekcurling.comKim's TW: @HoglineSallyTeam Tuck FB Page: @teamtuckmixeddblsFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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.io2021 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-memorialRay 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 Recipientshttp://worldcurling.org/awards/freytag/"Sticks and Stones" Documentary (2014) on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/FRiMLH3n3mA"Sticks 'n' Stones" Book (2021) by Warren Hansenhttps://www.warrenhansenauthor.com/about-the-book.htmlAndy's E-mail Address: curl@cyca.caFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Every February, the curling community celebrates "Curling Day In Canada." One of the events is a story contest put on by Curling Canada where curlers from across the country submit their stories in the hope of winning a prize. In January 2021, Cheryl Rajala of Sudbury, ON, wrote about an incredible moment at the U18 Northern Ontario Provincial Championships in March of 2020.In this episode, you'll hear Cheryl read her story ("How To Make A Curling Mom Cry") and talk about what led up to that moment. We'll also talk about the challenges of being a mom of two competitive curlers, and how to deal with victories and defeats as a curling parent. NOTE: This interview was recorded in late February 2022.Some of the topics we discuss:* How Cheryl's husband got her to curl (5:30)* How a mining strike led to her children curling (6:27)* What sparked the kids' love of the sport? (7:50)* Youth Challenges (10:38)* Challenges of having two competitive curling kids (12:26)* Money: Fundraising and sponsorships (14:58)* Expectations going into the U18 Northern Ontario Championships (17:37)* The lead-up to the "moment" (19:15)* Did the "moment" surprise Cheryl? (21:55)* Current competitive status of Brendan & Lauren (22:45)* Advice for curling parents (23:56)* Dealing with defeat - what can parents do? (25:07)* Do they ever take a break? (28:27)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Curling Day In Canada: "How To Make A Curling Mom Cry" article (Jan 22/21)https://www.curlingdayincanada.ca/how-to-make-a-curling-mom-cry/Cheryl's Twitter: @CherylRajalaFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The state of Wisconsin has a long tradition of high school curling. It's also the only state in the U.S. that organizes a high school curling championship. In today's episode, I speak with Jim Wendling, a teacher at Wausau West High School. He gives me an overview of high school curling in Wisconsin, including his own program. We talk about a popular event called the Tietge High School Bonspiel. And, finally, he gives advice about how to get high school kids to love the sport.NOTE: This interview was recorded in late February 2022, just after the Wisconsin High School Curling Championship.Some of the topics we discuss:* Details of the Wausau West HS curling program (2:34)* Organization of HS leagues in Wisconsin (5:32)* How do new kids find out about their program? (9:50)* Who runs these HS programs? (12:51)* How did Jim get introduced to curling? (13:22)* Where does the money come from to pay for these programs? (17:25)* 2022 Wisconsin HS State Championship (23:56)* The Tietge High School Bonspiel (the biggest HS bonspiel in the US) and why it's great for new curlers (27:50)* Jim's children and their involvement in the sport (31:54)* How HS curling fills a gap that junior competitive curling may not (33:56)* An abridged history of HS curling in Wisconsin (36:59)* Advice to potential new HS programs: Start slow with some HS bonspiels (41:48)* A story about his son curling with an 80-year-old (45:11)* Will the Beijing Winter Olympics result in a "bump" in interest for curling? (46:48)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Wisconsin State Curling Association (incl. High School Curling)https://wi-curling.org/Wausau Curling Club/Wausau Curling Centerhttps://wausaucurling.org/index.phpJim's E-mail Address: jwendling@wausauschools.orgFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In Feb. 2022, five youth curling coaches from across Canada gathered for a one-of-a-kind competition: To create their best youth curling practice. The twist? They were doing it in the format of a fantasy sports draft!In Part 2 of this 2-part series, we make our final selections, offer practice planning advice, and share what's going on at our individual clubs.Some of the topics we discuss:* SNACK category (1:25)* CELEBRITY GUEST category (16:04)* Advice for youth practice planners (25:32)Team Reviews & Club Program Updates:* Patrick Brown, Uxbridge CC (27:58)* Tenielle Bachek, Okotoks CC (31:19)* Michelle Hunt, Royal City CC (34:27)* Glenn Gabriel, East York CC (36:50)* Mike Gregotski, High Park Club (38:29)*****FINAL DRAFT RESULTSTEAM PATWARMUP: Imitating Other SportsSONG: “Scatman” by Scatman JohnDELIVERY: Progressive Hog Line Drillhttps://bit.ly/3qkeG00SWEEPING: Enemy Sweepers – Create two 4-person teams. Front ends switch teams so they're on the “enemy” team.GAME: “Guard Zone Madness” – Play 1 End No Guard Zone, then play Next End “Mandatory Guard Zone,” Switch for a few ends, then finish with 5-Rock Rule.SNACK: Ice Cream Cone Filled w/Spaghetti & Sauces with Garlic Bread (Sponsored by @olivegarden)CELEBRITY: @MattJamilton (USA) & @TheRockTEAM TENIELLEW: “Warmup Bingo”SONG: “Hooked On A Feeling” by Blue SwedeD: “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.SW: Progressive Hog Line DrillG: The “Howard Game” – No takeoutsSN: Hot Dogs and Fruit KebabsCELEB: Marc Kennedy @LeftykenbearTEAM MICHELLEW: “High Knee Dance Party”SONG: “All Star” by @smashmouthD: Progressive Slides – Ex: Kids slide to back line for first slide, then tee line next, then 12-foot, etc.SW: Hot Shots (see p.9)https://bit.ly/3MZ5WpEG: Bocce CurlingSN: Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Sponsored by Amaury Guichon)CELEB: @BennyHeebzTEAM GLENNW: Lunge CircleSONG: “Dynamite” by @bts_bighitD: One-Rock Slidehttps://bit.ly/3KXXrJQSW: Footwork with 2 Rockshttps://bit.ly/3qohGZ9G: Four Cornershttps://bit.ly/3qmBY5cSN: Fries & Ketchup (@kfc)CELEB: Satsuki Fujisawa (Japan)TEAM MIKEW: @justdancegameSONG: “Blinding Lights” by @theweekndD: Spin-A-Ramahttps://bit.ly/3CWdDbvSW: Cornbrooms! Kids will realize how easier it is to sweep with current brooms ;-)G: “12-Foot” – Rocks only count in the 12-foot circleSN: Donuts! (a) Boston Cream w/ Icing Handle & (b) Vanilla Glazed with a “House" (@TimHortons)CELEB: @jeffstoughton***Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In late February 2022, five youth curling coaches from across Canada gathered on Zoom for a one-of-a-kind competition. Their mission: To each create their best youth curling practice. The catch? They were creating their "dream practices" using the format of a fantasy sports draft!In Part 1 of this two-part series, we lay down the ground rules, introduce ourselves to the listeners, and make our first four draft picks. Let the competition begin!Some of the topics we discuss:* Draft Format (2:28) & Ground Rules (3:38)* Draft Participants Introduce Themselves  and Their Favourite Sports Teams (4:52)* WARMUP EXERCISE & SONG category (8:18)* DELIVERY DRILL category (13:32)* SWEEPING DRILL category (27:02)* GAME VARIATION category (35:34)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Random.Orghttps://www.random.org/***Draft Participants (in draft order):Patrick Brown, Uxbridge CC (ON)Twitter: @garnetcanoeTenielle Bachek, Okotoks CC (AB)E-mail: Okotokscurlingjuniors@gmail.comMichelle Hunt, Royal City CC (New Westminster, BC)Twitter: @littlekidscurlGlenn Gabriel (Pickering, ON), East York CC (Toronto, ON)Twitter: @kidscurlingE-mail: coachingkidscurling@gmail.comMike Gregotski, High Park Club (Toronto, ON)Twitter: @mgregotskiNOTE: Full show notes (including links to drills/activities/exercises) will appear in Part 2 of this series. Link/URL to those show notes will appear here soon.Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In a first for the podcast, Coach Glenn takes a road trip for an in-person interview at the Oshawa (Ont.) Curling Club. On March 5, 2022, OCC hosted its Youth Funspiel, which hosted many U12 and U21 teams from clubs across the Greater Toronto Area.In this episode, Coach Glenn speaks with OCC Little Rocks and Junior Co-Convenor Liz Wrigley at the end of a busy bonspiel day. We talk about the excitement of the day, the challenges of organizing a bonspiel during COVID, and what she wants the kids to get out of the event.Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Oshawa (ON) Curling Club Web site:https://oshawacurlingclub.com/Liz Wrigley's Twitter handle: @LWrigley05Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We produced roughly 40 episodes of this podcast from January to December 2021. In this episode, Coach Glenn shares his personal podcast highlights of the year. And, like many year-end reviews, it's a list - of 21 random facts!NOTE: I name check a LOT of previous episodes and guests in this week's episode. There's no easy way to post show notes for this, so I encourage you to visit the podcast Web site to listen to the episodes and read the individual show notes: coachingkidscurling.comLinks to the resources mentioned in this episode:Twine Time Podcast Web site:https://twinetime.libsyn.com/Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://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)

For more than 30 years, kids representing elementary schools from across Ontario have played in the annual elementary school curling championship. The 33rd edition of this event was originally scheduled to run in March of 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. In today's episode, I speak with the three co-chairs of the 2022 event - Kathy Waechter, Jen Elston & Mike Cottrill - of the Wingham Golf & Curling Club. We talk about the plans for the event, what COVID protocols they've implemented, and why this event is meaningful for all of them.Some of the topics we discuss:* Details of the event (2:14)* Where is Wingham, ON? What is it famous for? (6:43)* A description of the Wingham Golf & Curling Club (8:30)* The experience of bringing a school team to a previous championship (9:58)* COVID protocols (12:16)* Making this event special, like a "first experience at a Brier!" (15:58)* Sponsors (18:54)* What is the goal of this event? (21:13)* Youth curling program at WG&CC (22:53)* What would a hypothetical school team from Pickering, ON, get from this event? (25:23)* All three guests are passionate about youth curling (26:13)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Wingham (ON) Golf & Curling Club Web site:https://www.winghamgcc.com/WG&CC E-mail:manager@winghamgcc.comWG&CC Phone:(519) 357-2179Event E-mail:elementarycurling2020@gmail.comNew Holland (McGavin/Robert's Farm Equipment)https://www.robertsfarm.com/Joe Kerr Limited (Wingham, ON)https://joekerrlimited.ca/Alice Munro Wikipedia Entryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_MunroFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Coaching kids can be serious business, but not all the time! No matter how serious it gets, there are always moments of fun. In fact, they can be some of the most memorable moments of your coaching career. In today's episode, I share funny coaching moments with two previous guests of the podcast: Mike Gregotski of High Park Club and Greg Wilson of Brantford Golf & Country Club. Can those moments help improve your youth curling program?Some of the topics we discuss:* Watching small kids use a big scoreboard (3:16)* How one coach surprised the juniors during a photo shoot (7:00)* Finding out why kids chose a certain shot and the importance of listening (12:58)* Letting kids innovate new drills and games like the "Brantford Drill" (17:23)* What are some lessons we can take away from these funny moments? (26:00)* The current curling situations for youth programs at High Park (29:05) and Brantford (29:48)* Coach Glenn shares a curling joke! (31:50)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:High Park Club (Toronto, ON) Web site:https://www.highparkclub.com/Brantford (ON) Golf & Country Club Web site:https://brantfordgolfandcountryclub.comMike's E-mail:littlerocks@highparkclub.comTwitter:@mgregotskiGreg's E-mail:littlerocksbgcc@gmail.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

THE "CURLING AS A KID & BEYOND!" SERIES: Episode #5This 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.Sabrina Ribau is a member of the Portuguese National Mixed Curling Team who grew up in Oakville, ON, Canada. In this episode, we talk about how her father's introduction to the sport led to her and her siblings joining their local junior curling program. We talk about her experience coaching kids and some advice and tips for fellow youth coaches. Finally, we talk about how we can keep kids in the sport of curling for the long-term. [NOTE: This interview was recorded in July 2021.]Some of the topics we discuss include:* How a curling open house her dad attended led to Sabrina joining Oakville CC's Little Rocks program (3:19)* Which athletes (curling or otherwise) did she look up to as a kid? (8:25)* What made her decide to get "serious" about curling? (12:11)* How instructing kids and adults helped with Sabrina's personal development (14:55)* What is the rewarding part of coaching kids for her? (19:30)* What was the most fun part of curling for her? (22:32)* Advice for creating engaging lessons plans and practices for kids (23:32)* How would she describe her coaching style? (28:10)* Team Portugal update (32:22)* 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? (34:11)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Oakville (ON) Curling Club Web site:https://oakvillecurlingclub.com/"Oakville family set to sweep up for Portugal at world mixed curling championships" article on insauga.com Web site (March 2, 2021) by Gene Pereirahttps://www.insauga.com/oakville-family-set-to-sweep-up-for-portugal-at-world-mixed-curling-championships/"Drills To Die For" article by Bill Tschirharthttps://ontariocurlingcouncil.com/blog/wp-content/APITG/APITG_37_drills_to_die_for.pdf* Arguably one of the most downloaded articles in the sport. It is a list of drills that are standard for many competitive and youth programs. If you've ever heard of "Crazy 8s," "Line Dancing" or "Pop Goes The Weasel," then you're familiar with some of the drills in this article.CKC Episode #41: "How I Met My Wife: A Valentine's Day Story" (Feb 14/21)https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/7853596Sabrina Ribau Social MediaTwitter: @SabrinaRibauInstagram: @mindfulkinesiologyFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In the Summer of 2021, Coach Glenn and his 5-year-old son joined organized soccer for the first time. In this episode, he shares the story of his son's first-ever soccer practice and what all youth sports organizers can learn about their first contact with kids and parents!Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Tenielle Bachek is the Junior Program Coordinator at the Okotoks Curling Club, in Okotoks, Alberta, just south of Calgary. Their situation was unique, because they ran youth programs last season and are running them again this season. In this episode, we talk about her opening day in October, the preparations she made to get things ready for her program, and the advice she would give to fellow organizers who want to re-open their youth curling programs this season.Some of the topics we discuss:* What happened in the 2020-2021 season? (1:57)* How her program is structured (5:48)* Some of the preparations she made prior to the 2021-22 season (9:05)* What was "Day One" like? (12:16)* COVID vaccination requirements for kids (14:49) and other COVID considerations (e.g., masks, distancing) (17:16)* What does a typical U12/Little Rocks practice look like? (18:57)* More details and excitement from "Day One" (23:15)* Why an early safety review is important (27:58)* Tenielle's goals for her program this season (30:46)* Advice for fellow youth curling program organizers (31:30)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Okotoks Curling Club Web site:https://okotokscurling.com/"Women In Curling" Summit & Okotoks Jr. Curling Academy With Atina Ford Johnston(Mar 28/21 episode of "Coaching Kids Curling")https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/8218943Tenielle's E-mail:okotokscurlingjuniors@gmail.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

THE "CURLING AS A KID & BEYOND!" SERIES: Episode #4This 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.Jenna Burchesky is a two-time U.S. Junior National Champion and will be competing in the U.S. Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials this month with her partner, Ben Richardson. In this episode, we talk about her early days in the sport, an early bonspiel that left a lasting impression, her current competitive situation, and the creation of the "Curler Outreach Program." [NOTE: This interview was recorded in August 2021.]Some of the topics we discuss include:* The Scottish carpet at Broomstones CC outside Boston (2:17)* Why she returned to curling at age 10 after a failed first attempt at the sport (3:36)* Making a friend in curling (5:00)* What made the Cape Cod Junior Summer Bonspiel memorable (8:39)* Why she likes working with kids and her experience coaching at youth curling camp (12:20)* A story about giving useful feedback as a curling coach (14:58)* The creation of the "Curler Outreach Program" and its roots as a junior recruiting program (19:40)* How to attract more kids to your youth curling program (28:05)* Meeting a future teammate at her first Junior nationals (30:07)* Her current competitive situation (32:16)* 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? (34:49)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Broomstones CC Web site:https://www.broomstones.com/Grand National Curling Club (GNCC) Web site:https://www.gncc.org/US Junior Curling Association Web site:https://www.usjuniorcurlingassociation.org/* Youth curling camp organizersCurler Outreach Program Web site:https://curleroutreach.org/* Video section includes "Building and Maintaining Junior Curling Programs: A Panel Discussion" Webinar recording (Aug 1/21)Jenna Burchesky Social MediaInstagram: @jenna_burcheskyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.burcheskyFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

THE "CURLING AS A KID & BEYOND!" SERIES: Episode #3This 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.Monica Walker is a three-time U.S. national champion and currently the third for Team Jamie Sinclair. In this episode, we talk about her family's history in the sport, why she decided to start curling, and the unique junior development program at her home club (Broomstones CC in Wayland, MA, USA). Monica will be competing in two US Olympic Curling Trials this fall: The Women's Team Trial in November and the Mixed Doubles Trial with partner Alex Leichter in October. Finally, she talks about her involvement with the Global Initiative For DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) In Curling. [NOTE: This interview was recorded in July 2021.]Some of the topics we discuss include:* Broomstones CC in Wayland, Massachusetts (4:00)* Her first time on the ice, being taught to slide by Korey Dropkin's dad, Keith, and the amazing feedback she received about her delivery (7:05)* The "JET" program, a youth Olympic development program at Broomstones, that provided resources such as specialized fitness training, equipment, travel opportunities in Canada, etc. (12:29)* A famous local soccer player that she admired growing up (19:23)* How curling made her self-conscious (20:21)* The most fun part of curling, according to Monica (21:09)* 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? (24:11)* Her current competitive situation, training in Minnesota (29:05)* The Global Initiative For DEI In Curling (31:47)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Broomstones CC Web site:https://www.broomstones.com/Global Initiative for DEI in Curling:Email: globalcurlingDEI@gmail.com Newsletter: https://buff.ly/3oscEH7YouTube: https://buff.ly/39kGyZQFacebook: https://buff.ly/36h9zU2Instagram: @GlobalCurlingDEITwitter: @GlobalCurlDEI#changethefaceofcurling Team Sinclair:@teamjsinclair (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)Monica Walker:@monwalkcurl (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

September 30 is International Podcast Day. In this episode, Coach Glenn shares some of the curling podcasts he listens to and why he likes listening to them. A big shout-out to all the podcasters who are doing this for the love of it, 'cause most of us ain't making any money! :-)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:International Podcast Day (Sep 30) Web sitehttps://internationalpodcastday.com/Rocks Across The Pond Podcast Web sitehttp://www.rocksacrossthepond.com/Game of Stones Podcast Web sitehttps://www.gameofstonespod.com/Inside Curling Podcast Web sitehttps://podcast.sportsnet.ca/inside-curling/Inside Curling Podcast Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/InsideCurling/2 Girls And A Game Podcast Web sitehttps://2girlsandagame.libsyn.com/Empowered Performance For Curlers Podcast Web sitehttps://empoweredperformance.ca/podcast/#Curling Legends Podcast Web sitehttps://curling.libsyn.com/From The Hack Podcast Web sitehttps://fromthehack.com/Rock Logic Podcast Web sitehttps://www.si.com/curling/rocklogicThe Extra Extra End Podcast Web sitehttps://www.tesn.us/podcastThe Whole Spiel Podcast Web sitehttps://www.usacurling.org/the-whole-spielFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In 2021, the Government of Canada declared September 30 as "National Day For Truth And Reconciliation." According to the Govt. of Canada Web site: "The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities." In this episode, Coach Glenn explains why this day is important to him and shares some actions he is planning to take to broaden his knowledge of Indigenous issues.Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:National Day For Truth & Reconciliation Government of Canada Web sitehttps://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html"Canadian Indian residential school system" Wikipedia articlehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_systemTruth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015)https://nctr.ca/records/reports/#trc-reports"Indigenous Canada" coursera online coursehttps://www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada"Getting Involved In Diversity & Inclusivity With Brittany Tran" CKC Episode (May 16/21)https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/8471784Podcasts from Downie Wenjack Web sitehttps://downiewenjack.ca/our-work/reconciliactions/"Thunder Bay" series from Canadalandhttps://www.canadaland.com/"Our Native Land" by Tchadas Leohttps://www.cheknews.ca/podcasts/our-native-land/"Coffee With My Ma" by Kaniehtiio Hornhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/coffee-with-my-ma/id1372866076"The Historical Natives" by Mackenzie Taylor & Josef Staffordhttps://www.thehistoricalnatives.ca/"Residential Schools" by Historica Canadahttps://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/residential-schools-podcast-series"The Secret Life of Canada" by Falen Johnson & Leah Simone Bowenhttps://www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanadaAboriginal Sport Circle Web sitehttps://www.aboriginalsportcircle.ca/Goldline Curling #UnitedWeCurl Initiativehttps://blog.goldlinecurling.com/united-we-curl/"Curling As A Kid & Beyond! With Kerry Galusha (Yellowknife, NWT)" CKC Episode (Sep 21/21)https://www.buzzsprout.com/1048435/9235715Curling Canada Diversity & Inclusivity Resource Guide (2021)https://www.curling.ca/files/2021/04/Diversity_Booklet-en-1.pdfGlobal Initiative For DEI In Curling Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/GlobalCurlingDEI/Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

THE "CURLING AS A KID & BEYOND!" SERIES: Episode #2This 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.In 2019, a TSN poll named Jill Officer the greatest female second in Canadian curling history. In this episode, I ask her how she first got involved in the sport and when she decided to take the sport more seriously. We discuss the challenges of teaching kids and what she considered when her own daughter decided to take up the sport. Finally, we talk about her current goals and what she'll be doing for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Some of the topics we discuss include:* Growing up in Winnipeg (2:52)* Starting curling at age 10 and her mom's hesitation to get her into the junior league (7:25)* What attracted Jill to curling and what other sport she might have played (11:16)* Playing against Jennifer Jones and eventually being asked to be on her team (15:05)* Getting pranked by Team Sandra Schmirler in Bern, Switzerland (22:12)* The coaching lessons that Jill learned when she taught a kid at curling camp how to throw a draw when all he could do was hit (26:57)* Why her daughter started curling at 9 years old (32:36)* Jill's advice to parents who want to introduce curling to their kids (37:19)* 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? (39:56)* Not every kid needs to be trained to be "competitive" (43:56)* Going back to university! (44:55)* Being an "athlete mentor" for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing (45:41)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Jill's Twitter Account:https://twitter.com/JillOfficerJill's Instagram Account:https://www.instagram.com/jillofficer/"Jill Officer named Olympics mentor" article (May 13/21) from Winnipeg Free Presshttps://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/curling/jill-officer-named-olympics-mentor-574416352.html"Canada's Greatest Curlers: Officer named greatest second after running away with vote" article (Feb 19/19) from TSN.ca Web sitehttps://www.tsn.ca/canada-s-greatest-curlers-officer-named-greatest-second-after-running-away-with-vote-1.1253747Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

NEW SERIES! PRESENTING "CURLING AS A KID & BEYOND!": Episode #1This is the first episode in 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. I'll also be asking these curlers about their experience coaching youth. And, in some cases, I'll ask them about what it's like having their own children in the sport.Kerry Galusha is a longtime competitive curler and member of the famous Koe curling family. In this episode, I ask her about her early days of curling and what she found most exciting about the sport. We also discuss her involvement coaching juniors at her home club, Yellowknife CC. And we also talk about her role as a KidSport ambassador in the Northwest Territories.Some of the topics we discuss include:* How her family first got her involved ("forced" into?) curling (3:43)* What made her fall in love with the sport (9:01)* Kerry's experience at her first nationals, meeting some now-famous friends! (10:17)* Meeting Sandra Schmirler at the '94 nationals and meeting another famous curler who she wanted to play mixed with! (15:15)* Travel was the spark that hooked her to competitive curling! (17:07)* How she got involved in coaching with the junior program at Yellowknife CC (19:23)* Buying stopwatches for her girls' team (22:58)* Why did the girls she coach stay with her for so long? (26:12)* Advice to parents who want to introduce their kids to curling (28:57)* In Kerry's opinion, the best part of coaching kids (29:48)* 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? (31:20)* Kerry's competitive team update as of July 2021 (36:10)* Kerry's role as a KidSport ambassador in NWT (38:02)* What sports did she watch at the Tokyo Summer Olympics? (40:45)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Team Galusha social media accountsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamGalusha/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/teamgalusha/Twitter:https://twitter.com/TeamGalushaKidSport NWThttps://www.sportnorth.com/kidsport/kidsport-nwthttps://www.sportnorth.com/kidsport/kidsport-nwt-ambassadors (Kerry's bio)Yellowknife CC Web sitehttps://yellowknifecurling.com/Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In the Summer of 2021, Bayview Golf & Country Club (located just north of Toronto) voted to close its curling program. It was the latest club in the Greater Toronto Area to end its curling program, part of a trend in the last 10-15 years of golf clubs deciding to close their curling sections. In this episode, I speak with Bayview curling member, former Bayview Curling Manager and competitive curler Julie Hastings. We discuss what led to the club's decision, what will become of the curling membership (including the youth curlers), and talk about the legacy of the club.Some of the topics we discuss:* What led to the end of curling at Bayview (1:58)* The decision was sudden (5:00) and final (9:00)* Julie's first memories of Bayview (11:10)* How a major event in Julie's life happened on Sheet #1 at Bayview (12:23)* Remembering her kids throwing their first rocks there (13:56)* Future Champs Bonspiel history & possible future? (18:30)* Legacy of competitive curling  & Julie's contribution (21:35)* Importance of finding new homes for their youth curlers (24:23)* Why clubs should keep their curling program (25:55)Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In July 2021, Curling Canada announced that they were injecting $200,000 toward the creation of new grassroots programs for youth. In this episode, Helen Radford, Curling Canada's Youth Curling Manager, joins me to discuss the goals of this initiative as well as offering advice for potential applicants.Some of the topics we discuss include:* Why the emphasis on two-year plans (2:37)* Encouraging more BIPOC youth to try curling (4:24)* The importance of intercity/interclub leagues and why it's important for kids to go outside of their club (11:54)* Be creative with formats e.g., doubles & triples (16:20)* Getting schools to make curling part of their phys-ed programs (17:51)* Where did the money come from? (22:34)* Application deadline Sep 30, Decision deadline Oct 29 (25:07)* Contact Helen directly if you need advice or guidance with your application (27:02)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Curling Canada's Funding Announcement (July 26/21)https://www.curling.ca/blog/2021/07/26/200k-in-grassroots-youth-programs/Curling Canada Funding Application Pagehttps://www.curling.ca/foundation/funding/Curling Canada's Diversity & Inclusivity Home Pagehttps://www.curling.ca/diversity-inclusivity/Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

When we teach kids how to deliver a rock, are we making the process easy for our kids to learn (and easy for our coaches to teach)?  In this week's episode, Coach Glenn explains how simplicity and consistency can make your teaching methods more effective and efficient.Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://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)This podcast episode uses: "buttonchime02up.wav"By JustinBW of Freesound.org (http://Freesound.org)

Are we putting in the effort to learn about the kids we coach? Can we step into their shoes and see our sport through their eyes? In this week's episode, Coach Glenn challenges youth coaches to learn the "language" of their athletes.Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://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)This podcast episode uses: "buttonchime02up.wav"By JustinBW of Freesound.org (http://Freesound.org) 

When parents find out that Coach Glenn is a dad, they ask the same question: "So... When is your son joining Little Rocks?" In this week's episode, Coach Glenn explains why the answer is harder than it sounds. Then he brings on a special guest to help him answer the question!Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Do we think about what our young curlers eat, even if it's what we feed them for snack after practice? In this episode, I speak with Melissa Kazan, a registered dietitian (RD) and sport nutritionist in Richmond Hill, ON. We have a wide-ranging conversation that includes why we shouldn't label foods as "healthy" and "unhealthy," what we should feed our kids before and after practice, and the importance of variety, tradition and taking pleasure in the food we eat.  I also reveal my own nutritional "Achilles heel" as a Little Rocks coach (while getting some advice to solve it!) Some of the topics we discuss include:* Why it's important to know the nutritional needs of kids (2:37)* Young athletes should be well-fuelled for practice (7:59)* The "pee test" - How to know if you're well-hydrated or not (13:43)* "All foods fit" - Don't label food good or bad (19:35)* What to look for in a post-practice snack (21:40)* Nutritional advice to new bonspiellers (28:01)* What to consider for a bonspiel lunch menu (30:40)  and why you should offer snacks as well as the meal (33:04)* Should I feel conflicted if I use candy/chocolate as holiday treats or on-ice prizes? (36:14)* Why we should trust kids to regulate themselves, even around a bag of Halloween candy (39:10)* What is a Registered Dietitian (RD)? (41:10) and what is a "Nutritionist"? (43:38)* Coach Glenn admits his nutritional "Achilles Heel" and what can he do about it (46:54)* Take time to eat! (48:46)* Melissa's favourite smoothie and a introduction to smoothie ingredients (51:52)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Melissa Kazan Sport Nutrition Web sitehttps://www.melissakazan.com/Melissa's e-mail address:  healthyme@melissakazan.comMelissa's Instagram handle: mksportnutritionFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is a two-part series!John Benton is a longtime American competitive curler, administrator and coach. He also owns a company called "Cold Granite Curling" that provides training for individuals and teams. His approach to the delivery is called the "Release Point Method" (RPM). In Part 2, we continue our discussion of the three "planes," the value of keeping things simple, and talk about the state of Junior Curling at his club in Minnesota.NOTE: It's helpful if you can download the RPM Handbook PDF in advance to follow the conversation.Release Point Method (RPM) Handbook linkhttps://bit.ly/3c6lwimSome of the topics we discuss include:* Where do US curling coaches find out how to teach the delivery? (1:00)* Working on the Glide Plane by doing long slides (3:03)* Don't be super critical of a kid's setup when working on Line Plane (5:40)* A drill from Coach Lino Di Iorio (Balance Plus) that highlights the difference in setup between inturns and outturns (7:14)* The difficulty of looking for lateral movement when an athlete wears all black (11:17)* RPM is a "minimalist" method and one not tied to specific techniques (12:57)* What is Cold Granite Curling? (16:55)* A summary of the Junior programs at the Four Seasons Curling Club in Blaine, Minnesota (19:50)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Cold Granite Curling Web sitehttps://www.coldgranite.com/Release Point Method (RPM) Handbook linkhttps://bit.ly/3c6lwim"Curling - The Slide Demo.mpg" YouTube video from Continental Cup 2012https://youtu.be/y8OQkNk8WpYPro-Slide Delivery Aid by Reid Carruthers - Hardline Web sitehttps://hardlinecurling.com/en/pro-slide-by-reid-carruthersFour Seasons Curling Club (Blaine, MN, USA) Web sitehttps://www.fourseasonscurlingclub.com/Curler Outreach Program Web sitehttps://curleroutreach.org/John's e-mail address: jbcurler@gmail.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)"https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward/The_Wake_1790/JoshWoodward-TheWake-NoVox-10-GoldenSunriseBy Josh Woodwardhttps://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_WoodwardLicensed under CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is a two-part series!John Benton is a longtime American competitive curler, administrator and coach. He also owns a company called "Cold Granite Curling" that provides training for individuals and teams. His approach to the delivery is called the "Release Point Method" (RPM). In Part 1, we introduce RPM, talk about the three "planes," and discover why he felt the need to create this set of delivery principles.NOTE: It's helpful if you can download the RPM Handbook PDF in advance to follow the conversation.Release Point Method (RPM) Handbook linkSome of the topics we discuss include:Two coaches that influenced his thinking about the delivery (4:03)Why looking at the delivery from a side view led to a breakthrough in his thinking (6:02)What is the "Release Point" (8:57) and why we should practice it off the ice (11:47)The "Glide Plane" (13:05)The "Line Plane" (16:48)The "Support Plane" aka "balance" (20:40)How to get kids to work on their "Support Plane" (24:05)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Cold Granite Curling Web siteRelease Point Method (RPM) Handbook link"Curling - The Slide Demo.mpg" YouTube video from Continental Cup 2012Pro-Slide Delivery Aid by Reid Carruthers - Hardline Web siteFour Seasons Curling Club (Blaine, MN, USA) Web siteCurler Outreach Program Web siteJohn's e-mail address: jbcurler@gmail.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward. Licensed under CC BY 3.0

Brandon Shintani is a high school sophomore from New Jersey, U.S.A., who created his own Web site and podcast called "Mind-Design Sports." What sets his content apart from other sports psychology resources is the fact that it's produced by teens for teens and kids. In this episode, we talk about why he became interested in sports psychology, different resources that he recommends, and we reveal a couple of our favourite present-day athletes. #AsianHeritageMonthSome of the topics we discuss include:What led Brandon to his interest in sports psychology? (4:01)What he learned from the Navy SEALs that he uses in his own life (6:41)Why is it important for teens to produce this content? (12:43)What can adult coaches be aware of when coaching "Gen Z" athletes? (19:27)"Anything you do is a good first step" (22:23)Brandon's favourite sports psychology resources (24:06)Two "underdog" athletes that Brandon and I admire (25:38)What an e-mailer from Mexico suggested as a possible podcast episode topic (and how it relates to curling!) (28:18)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Mind-Design Sports Web sitePlayer.fm Web site (podcast listening app)The Official Navy SEAL podcast"Finding Mastery" podcast with Dr. Michael Gervais"Increase Your Impact" podcast with Justin Su'a | A Podcast For LeadersBrandon's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonshintani/Thanks to listener Tenielle Bachek for sending kind words about the podcast last April! Tenielle is the Junior Coordinator for the Little Rockers in Okotoks, Alberta. I wish all my fellow youth coaches, program organizers and volunteers the best of luck as we prepare for a Fall 2021 re-opening (I hope!)Follow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward. Licensed under CC BY 3.0

Brittany Tran is a competitive curler from Alberta who recently participated in the 2021 Scotties and Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship in the Calgary "bubble." An Asian-Canadian, she decided last year to step up and help with Curling Canada's and Curling Alberta's Diversity and Inclusivity initiatives, including CC's new D&I digital resource guide.  In this episode, we talk about her early days of curling, what led her to get involved in D&I, and different ways for clubs and programs to encourage more BIPOC participation.Some of the topics we discuss include:Getting involved in curling through her family (1:56)Learning about the sport alongside her Vietnamese father (3:51)Growing up in Red Deer, Alta. (6:30)Why she decided to get involved in Diversity & Inclusion (9:00)Why different formats to play the sport are good (15:53)Different ways to get BIPOC kids to try curling (19:44)Playing on a competitive team with other Asian-Canadians (23:43)Does she consider herself a role model for Asian-Canadians in curling? (24:35)What would she say to a young Asian-Canadian girl who wanted to try curling? (25:32)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Curling Canada Diversity & Inclusivity Web page (including Digital Resource Kit)Brittany's e-mail address: brittanyy.tran@gmail.comBrittany's IG: brittanyy_tranFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward. Licensed under CC BY 3.0

Above the Arctic Circle, the town of Inuvik, N.W.T., is home to a curling centre with a thriving junior program. In this episode, I speak with Nick Saturnino, president of the Inuvik Curling Center, about its multiple youth programs, giving responsibility to young people, and creating new competitive opportunities for youth in his territory.Some of the topics we discuss include:A short history of curling in Inuvik (3:18)What is "Smash-Up Derby"? (6:46)The "Rock Star Festival" for kids 5-8 years old (9:11)Getting young people to help run the junior program (15:31)Paying the youth who help with the junior program! (17:35)Young people are allowed to use the ice during school lunchtime without supervision (21:03)A new "1-on-1" league for U12s/U15s that was started last season (26:52)Why a healthy junior program can grow future curling coaches (35:30)The U12/U15 "Rock The Rings" regional competition in Yellowknife (36:59)Fundraising for travel costs (41:14)The importance of LTAD for young curlers (44:14)Give kids an opportunity to try curling - don't schedule it at the same time as other sports! (46:32)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:"Inuvik Kids Embrace Curling" Curling Canada blog story (Jan 18/2021)Inuvik Curling Center Facebook GroupNWT Curling Association Web siteNick's e-mail address: curlinginuvik@gmail.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward. Licensed under CC BY 3.0

Stephanie Thompson is a registered kinesiologist and owner of Empowered Performance in Markham, ON. In January 2021, she was one of five recipients of a Gender Equity Award grant from Curling Canada. Her plan was to create a "virtual group fitness program for young girls, focusing on reducing curling-related injuries." In this episode, we update her grant idea, talk about the mission of her business and spend time talking about my favourite topic: Little Rocks and what to do for warmup and (maybe) cooldown. She even invents a new curling term!Some of the topics we discuss include:Where did the idea of a virtual fitness program for young women come from? (1:30)1/3 of girls drop out of sport by late adolescence (2:53)Why fitness equipment is being sent to teams inside the Calgary bubble! (5:36)The topics covered in her virtual fitness program (9:54)Young females need upper body strength (11:11)Men typically have heavier weights than women (13:03)The main goal of Empowered Performance (21:00)Do we need a warmup and cooldown when working with U12s? (23:32)Warmup ideas for Little Rocks (26:24)Do we need a cooldown for young kids? If yes, then what? (29:34)The new term Stephanie invented (33:02)It's okay if you're doing less activity/training during these pandemic times! (34:51)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:The Rally Report: Encouraging Action to Improve Sport for Women And Girls (2020)Empowered Performance For Curlers PodcastStephanie's e-mail address: steph@empoweredperformance.caFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward. Licensed under CC BY 3.0

As a youth coach and/or organizer, you've probably heard of Safe Sport, the "Rule of Two" and Rowan's Law. What do we need to know as we prepare our programs for the re-opening of curling clubs? In this episode, Jennifer Ferris, Manager of Programs & Operations for the Ontario Curling Council, joins me with updates to these three essential issues for youth curling.Some of the topics we discuss include:What is "Safe Sport"? (1:23) and the ''Universal Code" (3:58)Clubs need to ensure policies are in place and updated (6:49)Coaches need to act if they see abuse (8:40)The "Rule of Two" and how it's not only for kids (9:56)An update of Rowan's Law (concussion awareness), including a "return to play" procedure (16:11)Injury prevention - for example, the use of double grippers and helmets (22:40)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Ontario Curling Council Web siteSafe Sport Training module (Coaching Association of Canada) (including UCCMS)Respect In Sport trainingCommit To Kids trainingMaking Headway In Sport NCCP module Jennifer's e-mail address: jennifer@ontcurl.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward. Licensed under CC BY 3.0

Amélie Blais founded Passion Curling in Quebec in 2015. Since then, its youth programs have expanded to clubs across Canada. In this episode, we talk about how she started curling, her competitive experience, the creation of Passion Curling and becoming certified as a Competition-Development coach.Some of the topics we discuss include:How her family got her started in curling (1:33)Her competitive experience, including playing in the Quebec Winter Games at age 11 (5:04)What was missing from her curling club and how it motivated her to create "Passion Curling" (9:53)The U12 "Blizzard" program that will be used in Saskatchewan and B.C. (15:03)Coaching a Quebec "Colts" team in order to get her Comp-Dev certification (19:10)The contract she signed with her Colts team (24:26)What values are important to her as a coach (27:30)Being a Rocks & Rings instructor in Quebec (31:16)A kid who reminded Amélie of herself when she taught kids curling (34:50)Links to the resources mentioned in this episode:Passion Curling Web siteAmélie's e-mail address: passioncurling@gmail.comFollow our podcast on Twitter: @kidscurlingGlenn 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 coachingkidscurling@gmail.comThe intro and outro music is "Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)" by Josh Woodward. Licensed under CC BY 3.0