The Sylvan Lake Curling Club hosted a free event to teach youth some curling skills during a Saturday morning event at the NexSource Centre.
Sylvan Lake Curling Coordinator Crystal Koller said, “The two-hour event was such great success with 24 youths participating. Coach Tyler Powell from Calgary was great with the kids and the three volunteers, Carol Robertson, Lesley Hill, and I, had so much fun working with them all, teaching the basic skills of curling and how the game is played.” She added, “This is a new program developed by Curling Alberta so we really hope they will have more of these events in the future.”
The Ready To Rock youths curling program by Curling Alberta aims to promote the sport among children aged nine to 15.
Koller said, “With the downfall in the economy over the last few years, the number of junior curlers signing up to curl is decreasing due to financial stress in many families.
“When Curling Alberta got the grant to develop this program and asked Sylvan Lake Curling Club to host this free try-it event, we jumped on it right away.
“It was such an easy decision for us as we want everyone to be able to have the chance at trying the fun and low-cost sport that is becoming more popular all across Canada. All we had to do was supply the ice and some volunteers and Curling Alberta supplied the trained coaches.”
There are several options for youth to learn how to curl in Sylvan Lake.
Those who signed up for Saturday’s free curling event can register for an eight-week program of an hour-long lesson, once a week for $20. Koller, who is also a trained club coach, will be teaching Blizzard Curling Program for Youth sponsored by Curling Alberta.
Children between ages eight and 15 can also sign up for a four-week program run by the Nexsource Centre called Introduction to Curling on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Sylvan Lake Curling Club also offers a Junior Curling Program on Mondays and Wednesdays. For more details visit sylvanlakecurling.ca or Sylvan Lake Curling Club Facebook page.
Koller said, “Curling is becoming more and more popular as it is fun, easy to learn, and a very affordable sport that is low impact yet a great way to keep active during the winter months in our community. Our club is seeing new people joining every year, especially now since we are offering Learn to Curl clinics for those wanting to try it.
“Unfortunately, within the last year, our membership has decreased due to the pandemic. But we remain open and active as a club and welcome anyone who wants to curl from ages eight and up.
“Our curling season runs from mid-October to mid-March with a junior program, seniors daytime curling, and evening leagues for anyone who wants to curl.
“All you have to do is contact the curling club via our Facebook page or webpage.”
