Team Clendenan

In a game designed for thinkers, you would expect that adversiy is almost welcomed as an added challenge, but when the variables are outside of the game itself (such as when a major highway closure holds two team mates hostage in traffic) a real test of character ensues. Luckily, Team Clendenan is keen to grow stronger – even with bumper to bumper grief – and after raiding the Oakville supply closet for equipment the two and a half available members hit the ice with a “ show must go on” attitude.

Getting under way against a home club mixed team, it was hard not to notice their green coats that were decorated with zone win patches but the purple girls were not about to go down without a fight. Rallying for the first couple of ends with two points each, it was obvious that the opponents had mastered their draw weight with home ice advantage. Yet in a classic case of the score board not revealing the play, even when the opponets took the lead with a couple of steals, it is still worth mentioning that there was also a couple of 3 pointers for each team and an elusive millimeter or two in our favour would have changed the outcome dramatically. With a sigh of relief as the missing members arrived in the third end, there were multiple occasions that followed where a decision needed to be made on last stones to either safely draw for a single point or go for a riskier hit to break the game wide open with a large end. Appearing very patient and perhaps taking comfort in knowing that the summer league is a safe place for the girls to try some of the hero shots they might not try in official event play, it was still exciting to see the potential of the season ahead. The gallery was treated to some thrilling port shots and advanced strategy but alas after a see-saw of points, the win was eventually handed to the opposition with a missed draw to the pin that slipped to the back four foot. The good news is that after all was said and done, the team had their first chance to play with all four members and there are still four games left to work out the kinks and have fun in the process.

Well done keeping your cool with the bumpy start girls. One day you’ll look back on this game and see it as a stepping stone to a higher place!

Though summer weather has been elusive, the truth is that even a gorgeous summer vacation day would not have deterred Team Clendenan from hitting the ice for their first League game in Oakville. The spillover excitement from two members who just completed the Trillium High Performance Camp and with crossover memories from two members still reminiscing about their training last month in Germany, no one had to be reminded to be dressed and ready to go – especially with the arrival of the new coats to complete the “superman” change.

The opponent (Team Caldwell ) is ordinarily a first year junior girls team but with missing members due to the alternate week of Trillium training, two bantam boys and a bantam girl were inserted to fill the spaces. With a slightly shuffled lineup and our fifth player on our roster, it appeared to be an even match of pre-season skills which was supported by the flip flop of ends taken over the course of the game. Out of the gate with a 3 for the good guys, the opposition was limited to 1 in the second but then stole 1 in the third which was a gentle reminder that the game would not be a gimmie. Moving into the fourth a solid deuce was recorded for our ladies but dusty strategy quickly erased the gap when Team Caldwell fought back and capitalized with a 3 of their own and then stole another single in the sixth end to ensure that our girls were paying attention. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, slow play meant that the game would be limited to seven ends which gave us the hammer and a chance to successfully finish with back to back draws to the center of the rings for a deuce and the win.

I have yet to meet a competitive curler who groans about sacrificing summer fun (and warmth) for ice and curling matches and Team Clendenan is no different. On the other hand, it is a tad sweeter to make the effort when you get to play with teammates with similar goals and to be able to work on your technique while bumpily sneaking out a win as well. Plato said that “The beginning is the most important part of the work” and judging by the preseason play, the girls in purple understand that they are at the beginning of a marathon and are very focused on the chance to become the best that they can be.

Welcome to the 2014-2015 Season girls!

If you were to imagine a teenager being told they had to give up part of their summer vacation in order to sacrifice sleep, push the endurance of their muscles to the limit while simultaneously leaving the cottage out of the equation you’d probably be treated to an academy award performance regarding the unfairness of it all. Contrarily for Michaela and Emma, signing up for the Trillium High Performance Curling Camp in August is a no-hesitation no-brainer and the mere thought of holding them back from attending their summer training would result in nothing less than horrified faces.

Featured in its new location at the K.W. Granite Club, Trillium Curling Camp is a week-long infusion of mentorship and skill development with demanding fitness and lecture components for hungry curling competitors looking for ways to improve. It is arguably the most sought after boot camp despite long days and very little play time and yet the applicants far exceed the spaces available for the chance to be surrounded by some of Canada’s best teachers.

Thankful to be part of the attendees, and acutely aware that “The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary”, Michaela and Emma sponged up every morsel of training that was offered. So much so that even exhaustion couldn’t deter them from looking ahead to the summer league around the corner not to mention beginning the countdown until the next Trillium event despite the door barely being closed on the current one.
The jury is still out as to whether Team Clendenan’s love of curling is passion or addiction, but either way, the hard work appears to be a reward in and of itself and a great foundation for internal success no matter what happens outwardly in the upcoming season.

Bring on Oakville!

According to Roger Staubach, “Spectacular achievements are always preceded by unspectacular preparation” which is a testament to the importance of practice, no matter how mundane. On rare occasions, however, an opportunity presents itself which allows an athlete to deviate from predictable training and to embrace a different kind of hard work which is cleverly disguised as fun.

The World Curling Federation (WCF) is the wold governing body of Olympic Curling which internationally facilitates the growth of the sport. Together with the German Curling Association (DCV), the WCF proudly sponsors the the Hummelt Junior Curling Camp in Fussen Germany and in doing so affords 120 lucky athletes the chance to work on their deliveries, sweeping techniques, strategy, practice plans, ice reading, mental preparation and much more which aspiring curlers routinely work on.

About as far away (both literally and figuratively) from mundane practice as you can get, Grace and Emma joined forces with a handful of other Canadians who in turn teamed up with representatives from dozens of other countries to benefit from Hummelt’s summer curling training in July. Despite hours and hours of fitness, practice drills and brain stretching, not a single complaint was uttered and in fact the unanimous consensus was to plot a way to get back for more punishment . . .er rather fun . . . as soon as logistically possible.

Suffice to say that whether it was the schnitzel or the coaching, the new friends or the tweaked mechanics, the WCF appears to have it all figured out in as far as balancing hard work and fun which kind of spoils Stauback’s reference to training ALWAYS being unspectacular. Additionally, he’s never met our girls and seen the smiles that they bring to their training – in Europe or otherwise – and that is an achievement in and of itself.

Vielen Dank, dass sie Deutschland!

It’s more the norm than the exception for curlers to be immersed in the building blocks of improvement during extended seasons either side of the competition calendar and without hesitation the new team refused to retire their curling shoes until they were iceless. Despite missing a member due to a well-deserved vacation, the opportunity to squish in a few hours of training was too good to pass up so the girls forfeited a beautiful day good enough for barbequing and instead headed to High Park to get to work.

Aside from the mandatory skills tests to develop a baseline for improvement and a preliminary framework being formulated for off season training plans, the most exciting part of the practice was a brainstorming session on one of the most important aspects of a new team. No, it was not dynamics but . . . wait for it . . . COLOUR! Apparently for girls barely in their teens, dawning of a new coat is akin to being crowned and thus the decision regarding style and colour of jacket deserves proper attention. The internet was scoured and shopping notes compared and in the end it was unanimous that Lavender would get the nod for team unity and promotion.

When the curling club staff began stacking chairs the girls could no longer delay their transition into summer activities and subsequently the meeting was adjourned. It is safe however, to say that if attitude is the measure of success to come then Rebecca, Michaela, Grace and Emma are destined for great things because “Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer.” Marcia Wieder