Juniors

1 - 3 Years - This is for curlers who are brand new, or their second year of curling. The first four weeks of their season will be learning the game of curling.  This will include sliding, sweeping, rules, sportsmanship, and team dynamics. Week five will begin basic gameplay. Curlers will not be assigned to a regular team in this category. This encourages meeting peers and building connections - playing with various players is essential to creating a comfortable space to participate in and remove the fear of playing with ‘strangers’.  

4+ Years - This is for curlers who are entering their 4^th year of curling. This level will focus primarily on skill development as opposed to gameplay. We encourage curlers at this level to enhance their learnings by joining the Edmonton Youth Curling Association (EYCA), which offers a fantastic gameplay experience. There they will be able to practice their skills while meeting other curlers and building connections and networks to continue on with their curling journey.

We would like to note - sports programs are a commitment and we appreciate your continued support to ensure your curler is committed to their team and attending each week! With this, there are unforeseen circumstances that do come up - please let us know of absences as soon as possible to help us plan for the weekly lessons.

Equipment

Curlers will need:

·       Shoes - curling shoes OR indoor-only running shoes with grippers (required) on both shoes

·       Slider (Optional) - step on sliders will be available at each end of the rink for use

·       Broom

·       Helmet - all curlers age 12 and under are required to wear a helmet (can include a hockey, bike, ski helmets or curling headgear); a helmet is not required but strongly recommended for curlers over the age of 12

·       Warm Clothes - please avoid fabrics that may shed filaments onto the ice (wool, fleece)

·       Club Sweater – if this is your curler’s first year, their sweater is supplied by the club. If they lose it or outgrow it, the next one must be purchased at 50% of the cost. Please note: a club sweater is REQUIRED for each curler.

Equipment is available for purchase in our Pro Shop. There will be a limited supply of brooms available to borrow from our club supply but we do ask that all equipment is handled with care and returned in the same condition it was borrowed in.

Bonspiels

During the second half of the season, there are several bonspiel opportunities available to curlers outside of our club. Details on these events will be provided in November/December.

We do encourage all of our curlers to participate in our home club bonspiel – the Kevin Pengelly Memorial Junior Bonspiel which will be hosted on February 8 – 9, 2025!

Volunteers are the Heart of Our Program

As with many other programs, it would not be successful without the help of volunteers!  To keep our program vibrant and growing, volunteer hours will be mandatory this year.

·       4 hours per curler will be required

·       A deposit of $200 will be required at the start of the season

o   This can be made via debit or credit card

o   Credit card authorization forms are available at the club office

·       Charges will not be applied for those completing their mandatory hours

·       Volunteer opportunities both on and off the ice will be available throughout the season

Policies

Without rules and guidelines, our program would be chaos! This is why we will be developing various policies this season and asking that you read and acknowledge them as soon as they are available. We thank you for your support – these policies help keep our program strong and limit confusion when challenging circumstances arise.

Some basic considerations we ask though:

• We required that parents remain on-site, at the rink if their curler is age 12 and under – this way, if any surprises arise, you are there to care for your child.
• Curlers that are finding it difficult to participate in the programming, are distracting other curlers from their participating, or are creating a hazard on the ice will receive one reminder before being asked to leave the ice for the remainder of the evening.
• ****THERE WILL BE NO REFUND AFTER 28 DAYS IN THE PROGRAM****

Calendar/Schedule

Our program is 20 weeks long, beginning in October and ending in March. It will be once per week, on Tuesdays, from 5:15 pm to 6:30 pm. We ask that curlers are at the rink and ready to warm up by 5:15pm.

See Calendar Here

We look forward to seeing you all at the rink!  Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." data-linkindex="0">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or come chat with us at the rink!