The old Chinese proverb goes like this: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
While curling may be one of the farthest things from fishing, the proverb still holds true when looking at continuing Canada’s strong curling tradition.
In order to further cement Canada’s claim to the top of the curling mountain, it’s imperative that children get introduced to the game in any way possible. And it’s crucial that they are encouraged to keep at the sport until they have children of their own to introduce it to.
That’s where such programs as the Rocks and Rings program come in. The goal of the program is to show kids what curling is all about, and to get them to try it without worrying about falling on the ice.
Now travelling outside the major centres, the program was at Dunstable School on March 1, teaching students what the sport is all about and getting them excited for a new experience.
Because that’s usually all that’s needed. Sometimes all it takes is an introduction to something to incite someone to want to get involved for life. Sometimes a little hit of something is enough to get someone hooked.
Yes, the Rocks and Rings program doesn’t take place on ice, but it’s not the be all and end all.
For those children who are bitten by the curling bug, the next step is Little Rocks.
Taking a step up from Rocks and Rings, Little Rocks puts kids on ice with actually curling stones. The stones may be smaller and lighter than the stones used by adults, but what better way to fully immerse your child in the sport than putting them on the same surface where all the action is.
After years of practice, the time comes to graduate to play with the big boys — competing in a bonspiel.
That’s where Barrhead shines. Every year, three major bonspiels take place here — the women’s, the men’s and the mixed. And each one is well attended with curlers coming from all over the county and province to show what they can do and see how they match up against their fellow curlers.
It’s a sight to behold. The curling rink bustling with people talking curling. Men, women and children all there, watching a game that has become a part of their lives.
Yes, not everyone will manage to scale the mountain and become a Brier, Tournament of Hearts or world champion. But everyone will aspire to it.
And what’s more is that that desire has to start somewhere.
So if you do curl, good for you.
And if you don’t, try it. You never know what will happen.
