Team Clendenan

In curling, it’s widely accepted that in order to improve you need to tackle opponents who are above you. The theory is that you don’t learn anything by winning games against teams who have lesser skills and the sooner you can get some perspective about what is higher up the ladder, the more likely you are to work hard to stretch to reach the next rung. Interestingly enough, sometimes the outcome of an uneven match up has more to do with attitude than it does with brawn and (win or lose) ideally you come away from the experience with something that makes you stronger. Even if it’s as simple as being able to say “I did it”.

A junior spiel is for competitors who are aged 17-20 which easily describes opponents that are above Team Clendenan. Nay-sayers felt that leading a lamb to slaughter would be neither productive nor prudent but with nothing to lose and experience to gain, the purple girls entered the Brampton cash spiel for a taste of the junior world anyway. Much to everyone’s surprise, solidly wearing the underdog label was anything but a hindrance and digging deep to keep up with the competition allowed Team Clendenan to achieve a collection of milestones over the weekend.

Just being in their first Junior event as a team was worthy of notation – for it is a rare group that would be willing to face players that were up to seven years older than they were – but the results at the event were far more impressive. Beginning with a bucket list win in their first game and then finding themselves in a three way tie for second place in their pool, no one imagined that they would actually advance to the playoffs with the best shoot out score and the girls could hardly contain themselves. It didn’t even matter that their opponent in the quarter finals would be the skip (Greenwood) who went to nationals the year prior. As far as they were concerned their plan was to walk off the ice either with their heads held high or their heads held higher. And then the bonus happened . . . they won that game too.

Though the girls had nothing left in their tank for the semi-final game against another top Ontario team (Brandwood), what they had accomplished up to that point was remarkable. Similar to the childhood tune The Itsy Bitsy Spider, there were moments when the girls were climbing the spout and moments when they were washed out by the rain but all in all it was arguably a valuable experience that showed them what they are capable of. They not only did it, they did it with sparkle, and no matter what lies ahead they are definitely better equipped to face it.

Can’t wait to see you on the next rung girls!