In a community full of curling pride, there hasn’t been a U18 league for the sport — until now.
A U18 curling league in Gimli is starting this month. Though there are youth programs and adult leagues in the town, Gimli doesn’t have a dedicated league for curlers in between the age groups. Certified curling coach Jay Boaz is part of the group organizing the new U18 league and said that when his child aged out of the U13 league, he realized there was no league for them to curl in.
“If they want to play against other kids, there’s not a ton of options out there,” he said. “Curling truly is a lifelong sport. So, in terms of kids being physically active, it’s a great sport for them to have that lifelong physical activity. We want to bridge that gap.”
On Thursday, Oct. 24, there will be an open house for the U18 curling league at the Gimli Curling Club from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Anyone interested in the program can attend, ask questions, and throw rocks.
Boaz said this new program is meant for curlers who want to take the next step after the local junior instructional program. There’s no minimum age requirement as long as the curlers are under 18, but all curlers looking to partake in the U18 program should understand the game of curling and know how to play it.
Regular league play will start Nov. 7 and run every Thursday from then until Dec. 19 at 6:15 p.m. until 7:45 p.m. Each night of league play will be six-end games for the curlers. Curlers have to be on a team to play, and if they don’t have one but want to play in the league, they can find a team at the open house. Boaz said if a curler still doesn’t have a team after, then to reach out to the league anyway. Teams can be any mixture of people under 18 years old.
Once all teams are registered and the league has the numbers, it will make a schedule. Boaz said the number of registered teams will determine whether or not there will be playoffs at the end. After Christmas, the league will have another registration period and start another round of league play.
“Kids tend to drop off of sports at 13,” said Boaz. “Curling, I think, is a sport that falls into that category. We want to create a continuous path for kids to start curling as kids, to stay in the sport, and curl as adults.”
Kerri Einarson, a Gimli-raised professional curler, is also on the organizing committee for the Gimli U18 curling league. She said the new league would help young curlers grow together as a team and individually.
“They will also get that bit of competitive experience by playing against other teams,” said Einarson. “You get to create friendships and develop your communication skills with teammates, which is important in a sport where you need to communicate to help each other out. Those skills will also help in everyday life.”
While this league isn’t instructional, on-ice coaching is permitted and encouraged, but not required. Coaches in the league will be able to interact with their players once per end, mirroring how competitive junior curling works to prepare the curlers as much as possible.
“Our philosophy is if you’re out on the ice as a coach, there’s no reason you can’t help another team out,” said Boaz. “We want it to be a collaborative effort.”
To learn more about the new U18 curling league in Gimli, attend the upcoming open house or contact Boaz at 204-442-1010.
