submitted by Christine Janus
Those of us at North Grenville Curling Club (NGCC) who have come to love it want to share our top 10 reasons why YOU should join us!
- Curling can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone
Curling is a sport that can be enjoyed by men, women, and children – basically by anyone over the age of 8. We have members in their 90’s still actively playing! While it helps to have a basic level of physical fitness, you don’t have to be a super athlete to enjoy yourself.
- Curling is incredibly social
Curling at NGCC itself involves a great deal of camaraderie whether it’s between the members of your curling team, or with the teams you play against or just chatting with the countless friends you’ll make once you are involved. Joining a curling club in your local community allows you to meet people from all walks of life and socialize with them before and after games.
- Curlers come from all walks of life
Curling is one of the few sports that is truly open to anyone. From farmers to businessmen, people from all walks of life participate in curling all over Canada. Everyone participates for the love of this sport.
- Curling is inexpensive
Unlike many winter sports like skiing or hockey, where equipment can break the bank, curling is relatively economical. New curlers can join our Learn-to-Curl program for considerably less than a weekly gym membership AND you don’t need lots of expensive equipment.
- Curling is easy to learn and understand
Scoring in curling is simply based on points, not something subjective like technique or style. It is straightforward and easy to learn, which is why it’s possible to join at any age and can be enjoyed by everyone. While most players enjoy the challenge of ‘sliding out of the hack’ to shoor their rocks to the other end, members with knee or hip issues choose to use a simple purpose-designed ‘stick.’
- Curling is also about precision
Another reason curling is so popular and easy is that rather than speed or power, curling is a sport that requires some skill and precision. Like lawn bowling, it matters where your rocks end up after every player has had their turn. It has been nicknamed as “chess on ice” for the amount of strategy involved in winning a game. This is one of the reasons it is so popular among both players and spectators.
- Curling has health benefits
Those who know nothing about curling assume that it’s not much of a workout. The beauty of it is – even people with low fitness levels can build up through the season. Sweeping effectively can be a great cardio-vascular workout! And while it is played on ice, most people stay quite warm. The temperature in the rink is usually warmer than the winter air outside!
- Curling is safe
Of course, as in all sports, every player must exercise caution while playing and always be aware of his or her surroundings. By taking our Learn – to-Curl program you will learn proper technique curling can be enjoyed safely. Even so, all new curlers are encouraged to wear protective head gear, which eliminates any major injury risks.
- Curling is one of Canada’s most popular sports
Why? We know why. Simply put, it’s fun! There are over 1,000 curling clubs all across Canada, and it has been estimated that over 750,000 Canadians participate in the sport at least once a year. Canada is known for producing top curlers worldwide. Players from our club compete in external bonspiels and several of our youth are on track to being among Canada’s elite curlers one day. But at the club level, friendly competition and lots of laughter is what keeps our members coming back year over year.
- Learn-to-Curl at NGCC is easy, inexpensive and FUN!
Our Learn-to-CURL program is open to the curling curious and is led by several trained coaches. Also available is our Youth Development program for new and experienced 12 – 18 year-olds and our LITTLE ROCKS program for children from 8-11.
Considering curling, check out www.ngcurling.ca.
