An Exclusive Interview While Sliding into this Year’s IRHS Curling Team

I was fortunate enough to sit down and interview two of Iroquois Ridge’s four  esteemed
and talented Curling team members. It was exciting to have a chance to get to understand
these athletes everyday life on the Curling Team. Here are all of the topics and questions
we discussed during our time together.

What are your names and your roles on the team?

Chris Oka, Grade 10, plays the skip or the forth

Bennett Desmarais, Grade 10, plays the second

Nicole Harris, Grade 9, plays vice or the third

Sam St. James, Grade 9 plays lead/first

Who is your coach or superviser and how do they help your team?

Mr. Oak is the coach of Iroquois Ridge Curling Team.

He goes with the team to all practices and games, he overlooks all of the team’s game plans
and he gives them tips during games as well during practice. He is a fun, open minded coach
that wants the best for his team. He has ran, coached and supervised the team for five years.

Where does the team practice and play?

The team holds their practices at the Oakville Curling Club, and plays their games at the Burlington Curling Club.

How does the team work, what is a quick outline of the practices and games

you attend?

The team is very close, they warm up together and talk about pregame stuff together before games and about the other team's weaknesses and strengths.

Overall, they have a good team relationship and the team has brought them closer, they’re not strangers with each other, they talk in school not just on the ice and they feel as if they have known each other for a very long time.

They have excellent team chemistry, it helps them have good communication with each other which is the most important aspect to the sport of curling.

The team plays games every few weeks and they always face against other Halton high school teams such as White Oaks and Oakville Trafalgar. The Ridge’s curling team’s biggest rival is Abby Park as they are one of the strongest and toughest teams, but we did beat them in last year when it counted to become second in Halton.

Does the Curling Team require any additional funding from the school or the board?

The great thing about the curling team is that it needs no real major fundings from the school because the Oakville and Burlington Curling Clubs provide any equipment the team needs to play.

At the end of the curling season or year, what does success look to your team?

Having fun while playing the game together. Hopefully to be able to get on the podemuin and being proud of how the team did throughout the entire year

How does the Curling Team help our school or bring our school community together?

The school doesn't know or care about the curling team or its success. The curling team doesn't really bring the school together, but it has brought these four individuals together and it has strengthened their relationships with one another. Perhaps winning and achieving first place in Halton will rally the school together to praise the curling team more.

What do you have to say to the people who don't believe Curling is a “real” sport or to the people who have negative opinions on your team?

Try it the game atleast, try with an open positive mind to at least try to understand it the game and then people may realise why curling is a sport. Curling is a sport because it has all the aspects of any other sport. There's a lot of skill involved to succeed, it's a big mind game about focus and determination, curling requires great mental and physical strength. Curling is all about teamwork and communication is key. If you don't work together you won't be able to be able to successfully play curling. All these skills are required in any sport and curling requires all of them, so why don't people consider curling to be an official sport. Lastly if you still don't believe the art of curling is a “real” official sport, guess what? Curling is an official winter olympic sport.

Why did you all decided to join the Curling Team?

They joined the curling team because they all have had some previous experience while playing the sport at summer training camps. Many of the team members decided why not at least try the sport and to represent the school to try to win and to play against other school teams.

How was the team’s success during last years curling season?

Last year the Iroquois Ridge Curling Team got made it to the Halton championship finals, they finished second after an unfortunate last shot failure. Although it should be noted that the team played extremely well and the game came down to the final last shots of the game that decided it all. After last years amazing season run hopefully the team can fully deliver this year and bring The Ridge home a championship banner.

What's the one thing you wish more for the Curling Team?

The only thing that the Curling Team really wishes they had more of was just simply more school wide recognition. Many people throughout the school community dont even know the Curling Team exists, yes that the harsh truth. The only thing these athletes could hope more from the Curling Team is more recognition from the entire school community. Hopefully a successfully winning season will help direct some much needed attention to the Iroquois Ridge Curling Team.

This was the entire interview I was fortunate enough to experience with the Iroquois Ridge High School Curling Team. Hopefully the team can improve and have fun this year while growing the game and hopefully they can bring home to The Ridge the first place title.