Plainfield Curling Club

As fanatical as I am about curling, I’m sure I’m not alone in enjoying some time away from the game since the season ended at PCC. While other sports seem to push themselves further and further into year-round endeavors, ours remains largely seasonal. While there are summer spiels and the ice is installed at Edmonton’s Saville Center in late July, I appreciate the fact that curling, by and large, takes a break during the warmer months. 

That said, our club doesn’t go dormant when frozen, pebbled water is the last thing on our minds. And, quite frankly, it can’t. Spring and summer brings building projects that are necessary to maintain and improve the quality of our curling experience the following winter. Bob Howell is usually spearheading these efforts and is always seeking volunteers to help out. If you can, even if it’s only for a few hours one afternoon, it really makes a difference. Like a good barn-raising, it’s amazing how much more quickly some of these jobs move when a small army shows up to tackle them. Don’t worry about your carpentry skills — the fact that I’ve been able to contribute means that they’re hardly necessary. Bob knows to avoid giving me — and a few others, I should add — work that does not involve deft use of power tools or the ability to measure and cut precisely. Fact is, showing up is 95% of it. 

Building projects aren’t, however, our only need when it comes to maintaining a healthy club. Recently, Rod Black sent an email about club business cards and the need to solicit new members during the off-season. While our membership numbers have remained healthy despite the economic downturn, we can never turn off the tap when it comes to finding new participants. While curling may not fill your idle conversations during the spring and summer, don’t be afraid to talk to friends, neighbors and co-workers about the upcoming season. Make sure they know they can try the game early next October at an Open House and sign up for Learn-to-Curl. Follow up with those who express interest with an email or a phone call next September. Remember, as natural as curling seems for all of us who enjoy it, it’s not something that a lot of people think about trying. In other words, it’s not usually a quick sell. 

Over the years, I’ve probably bored more than a few people at cocktail parties and summer barbecues with my unrelenting need to convince them that curling is the greatest sport ever invented. But I’ve also learned that it’s important to consider what the person you’re talking to will find appealing about the game.

If it’s someone who is looking for a sport with social outlet, I make sure I tell  them about the camaraderie, sportsmanship and shared adult beverages that are essential to the DNA of curling. I also let these people know that while it is as difficult to become a great curler as it is to become, say, a low-handicap golfer, it’s far easier to become a moderately accomplished player than it is in other sports. If they have children, I talk about both junior curling and the fact that curling is one of those great sports that parents and children can enjoy together. (One of my favorite things is that I can still enter a spiel and compete on a team with my own parents.) I tell them that the sport is naturally handicapped for new players since they’ll be playing lead or second against another relatively new player at the same position on the other team. In other words, make sure they know the path in to the sport is a simple one and that curling has a social tradition unlike any other. Taking up a new sport is daunting for many people — curling is among the most welcoming and we need to make sure that fact is understood. 

On the other hand, if it’s someone who has played a lot of other sports and has a competitive nature, I make sure they know that curling is a very difficult game to master. In fact, I say that like golf, nobody every really does. I make sure they know that I train in the off-season specifically for curling. I tell them that there are hard-fought championships for new curlers, elite players and everyone in between. Remember — this type of person may not want to hear that curling is easy or not physically demanding. They’re looking for sports that offer a challenge.

In other words, think like a good salesperson this spring and summer. Know your audience and pitch accordingly. Make sure they know that we offer what amounts to a free trial at our first Open House. Follow up with a gentle reminder. 

You can also tell them that you’re going down to the club on a warm afternoon to hammer a few nails or tear up some carpet because you love the sport so much. (Wait. That depends on the audience, too. You might want to let them know about that fact next summer — after they’re hooked.)