Morinville Curling Club ready to rock this weekend

The Morinville Curling Club is looking to offer residents what it refers to as “entertainment value that rocks” this season. The club is holding a registration night Friday and is looking for experienced and not-so-experienced curlers.

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – The Morinville Curling Club is hoping to pack the house this October with the start of another season of curling in Morinville. Registration for the 2010-2011 curling season takes place at the Ray McDonald Sports Centre at 7 p.m. Sept. 17. Morinville Curling Club President Penny Modien said the club welcomes experienced curlers and those who have never played the game before.

Over the past few years the Morinville Curling Club has experienced a decline in membership in many of its leagues due to older members retiring from the game. As such, the club is encouraging people who have never tried curling before to give it a shot.

“It’s a good source of exercise,” Modien said of the sport she has been active in for many years, noting the benefits of curling extend well beyond the physical into the social. “It’s a good social networking type sport. When you are on the ice you chat. When you are off the ice, you go up and have a beverage and you sit and chat with the people you curled with and the other teams.”

But for those who have never hurled a rock, there is no need to feel intimidated. Modien explained that, like any other sport, the more one participates, the better they become. While new curlers are learning the ropes, the club’s veteran curlers are always willing to lend a hand with friendly advice and instruction.

“There’s always people out there that will help you,” she said. “And some of the better curlers in our membership are the greatest teachers. If you are open and accessible to a hand, they’ll point out, ‘maybe try this, or maybe you should try that.’ They coach you right along.”

To further help new curlers on their way to perfection, the Morinville Curling Club will be holding a free curling clinic Oct. 16 for those wishing to learn how to curl.

Modien said the cost for adults is $220 per season, a fee that gets participants approximately 20 games of curling. “It’s a great value for your money,” she said. “You can go sit and watch a movie for an hour and a half for more than a curling game costs.”

Adult curling consists of mens, ladies and mixed leagues. Men curl Monday and Thursday evenings. Women take to the rink Wednesday nights and mixed leagues curl Tuesday and Friday evenings.

Modien said Thursday afternoons are reserved for seniors who pay approximately $100 per season, which is divided into three runs of seven weeks. Names are placed in a hat at the beginning of each seven-week run and teams are drawn. At the end of the run, all the names go back in the hat and new teams are drawn for the next session.

But the Morinville Curling Club is not exclusive to adults and seniors. The club will be hosting its popular Juniors program again this year at a cost of $30 per season.

“Juniors is as cheap as borsch,” Modien said. “The junior program will run probably 15 weeks for thirty bucks. Where else can your kids go for two hours on a Sunday afternoon and not cost you anything?”

In addition to the Juniors program, the club will also host a high school league again this year. Last year’s high school league had five teams.

Adult curling begins Oct. 6. For more information about registering, phone 780-939-4393 or drop by the Ray McDonald Sports Centre Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.

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