{"id":63864,"date":"2019-03-28T05:05:37","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T09:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=63864"},"modified":"2019-03-28T05:21:06","modified_gmt":"2019-03-28T09:21:06","slug":"huntsville-curling-clubs-elementary-school-program-is-building-a-new-generation-of-curlers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/huntsville-curling-clubs-elementary-school-program-is-building-a-new-generation-of-curlers\/","title":{"rendered":"Huntsville Curling Club’s elementary school program is building a new generation of curlers"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Before they began the grade 5 junior school curling program at Huntsville Curling Club (HCC)<\/a><\/span>, students from two local schools likely had no idea that in this sport it’s okay to throw rocks, or that sweeping could be fun rather than a chore. They do now.<\/p>\n

Twenty-four students from Huntsville Public School (HPS) and Watt Public School participated in HCC’s junior school curling program this year. The program was launched two seasons ago with a grant from the Ontario government.<\/p>\n

<\/broadstreet-zone><\/strong><\/div>\n

The grant funds allowed HCC to purchase new helmets for students to use during the program to help ensure the safety of all participants.<\/p>\n

The curling program offers students two skill-building sessions with a fun bonspiel as their third and final activity day. Over the past two seasons, HCC has hosted more than 500 students.<\/p>\n

“It is important to the club to see the children here and providing the fundamentals in a sport promoting lifelong active healthy living,” said Kristen Hamilton, HCC’s Youth Program Coordinator.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, March 21, six teams comprised of HPS or Watt students participated in a friendly competition in the form of a mini-bonspiel. Hamilton said, “It was exciting to see so many kids on the ice. We all had a blast! Students, teachers and HCC volunteers.”<\/p>\n

Some of the students had never curled before and said that they liked how competitive the sport is but that they found it hard to shoot the rocks and get them to where they need to be.<\/p>\n\n\t\t