Back in da house
Rankin curling club excited about upcoming season
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, October 16, 2013
RANKIN INLET
The Qavik Curling Club began gearing up for a new season with an information session at the Rankin Inlet curling lounge this past week.
The club is hoping to build on a spike in popularity during the 2012-13 season.
Club president Angela Dale said Qavik offers both recreational and competitive curling.
She said all members curl together and the club hopes to have a league running from Monday to Friday this season.
"Those who declare their teams as competitive and want to go to the territorials and, possibly, the nationals, would be in a playdown to determine our club champion," said Dale.
"We're really expanding our junior program and looking for coaches to help out with that.
"We'd like to start curling in Grade 4 (Little Rocks) if we can get enough volunteers to help."
The club wants to run a youth program on Sundays.
Its junior players have a chance to go to the Arctic Winter Games or the Canadian Nationals in Shelbourne, N.S.
Dale said the juniors participating at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Nationals in Fort McMurray, Alta., earlier this year brought a lot of attention to the club.
She said that put Rankin on the curling map, so she hopes to send players again this year.
"We'd like to have a number of people attend coaching and officiating clinics this year.
"Iqaluit is offering an officiating clinic on the first weekend of November, and we hope to have a competition level coaching clinic on the weekend of Nov. 22.
"Curling has game umpires and hog-line watchers and, when you're playing competitively, the games are timed, so you need officials to operate the clocks.
"You also need officials to help with game regulations, and, maybe, close measurements."
The Qavik club held an opening bonspiel, as well as a Scottish-themed bonspiel, this past February.
Dale said the club hopes to repeat those this year, and is aiming at the November long weekend to have its opening bonspiel.
She said there have also been a number of improvements at the club recently.
"The hamlet has painted the lounge, we have new counters, and we've purchased 10 lockers, a fridge, new competition brooms and rock handles.
"The club also has time clocks now, donated to us by Curl Manitoba."
The Rankin club had upwards of 80 adult members this past year, plus a core group of about 15 youths who came out regularly and learned to curl.
Dale said increasing those numbers will be a club goal this year.
"We're more focused this year and trying to have a more structured program for the youths.
"We're going to meet with the parents so they understand about the sport, and what they're sending their kids to, so they're properly dressed.
"We'll meet with the kids as soon as we have a few volunteers in place, and I've already had a few people express interest to me.
"We're really looking forward to getting underway."
