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Students Trips and Spring Curling Season Highlight This Month
Nugget Column #20 – Tuesday February 7th, 2017
February is traditionally a busy time for school visitations to North Bay’s only curling club, and that’s no less true in 2017.
With an NDA warm-up tournament scheduled for February 17th and NDA Championships running February 23rd – 24th, high school students and coaches are taking advantage of practice ice to give themselves the best chance at advancing to the next levels of competition, and hopefully to OFSAA, which is being hosted in North Bay this March.
The top teams in NDA curling usually consist of Granite Club members who are regular curlers and have a solid understanding of the game. Often young members are introduced to curling by a family member who also plays, or is exposed to the sport through a school elective program.
Many elementary schools will be taking trips to the curling club this February to learn about a sport that is all physically, mentally, and socially engaging. Curling is a great activity to learn young and continue playing the rest of your life.
Even Nipissing University’s Bachelor of Physical and Health Education degree has been taking to the rink for some teaching and learning tips from the club’s Ice Technician, Bruno Bin. Hopefully these future educators will share the sport of Curling with their future students, while at the same time supporting a local club in the community where they end up.
Spring is just around the corner and the Granite Club is heading into its third and final session of the 2016-2017 curling season.
Beginning Sunday February 19th and ending Saturday April 8th, spring session leagues and instructional programs will allow new individuals and teams to participate.
Options include men’s leagues Mondays at 10am and Wednesdays at 11:30am; women’s leagues Mondays at 6pm, Tuesdays at 9:30am, and Thursdays at 9:30am; open leagues Tuesday and Thursday evenings; a rookie league Wednesdays at 6:30pm; and an Adult Learn to Curl program Wednesdays at 6:30pm.
The club’s popular Adult Learn to Curl program is promoting its final 6-week session (9 hours) for $200/person and, as a special end of the year offer, will include a Fall 2017 membership so that participants may return in the October to try out a beginner level league.
Adult Learn to Curl programs are very popular options for new curlers who would feel more comfortable learning proper technique, strategy, etiquette and gameplay format before entering into structured play. Be sure to contact the club for more information and to get registered within the next two weeks.
The Coldwell Banker Open Bonspiel is set for March 17th – 19th and will be the last event of the regular season. There are already thirty-six teams signed up and many more in the works.
You absolutely won’t want to miss out on all the fun, food and live music planned in between curling games. Only teams that are entered and paid by February 17th will be guaranteed a spot. More information and online registration is available at northbaycurling.com/coldwell.
Bobby Ray General Manager North Bay Granite Club