Sheila Swan to coach Scotland at 2011 Worlds in Prague

Sheila Swan
(from 2007 when she coached the British Universities Team)

Because of continuing delays in the paperwork allowing Alberta's Tony Zummack to relocate to Scotland and take up his position as National Coach, Dave Crosbee, British Curling's new Performance Director, has confirmed that Sheila Swan will be in charge of the Scotland team in at the 2011 World Championships in Prague.
Sheila played on Jackie Lockhart's World Champion team in 2002, and is currently the Royal Caledonian Club's Development Manager - Adults and Disabilities.

Tony is keen to take up his responsibilities and told me today: "I was very glad to see all eight athletes from the National Squad playing in the final three games in Lanarkshire. 

"To see Scotland reach the final against Canada should give the squad a sense of confidence heading to Prague.

"While I wish I was there now I have full confidence in Sheila Swan as she knows the athlete's quite well as she was with them in Vancouver. Preparations are ongoing and I look forward to the day I am there to meet the entire team and staff."

Ten team field for Lanarkshire International January 18-19

Team Scotland 2011
Gregor Ewan, Tom Killin, Aileen Neilson (skip), Angie Malone, Michael Mackenzie

Canada will play in their second and final preparatory competition before defending their World Championship in Prague February 21, when they compete in the Lanarkshire International at the Hamilton Ice Rink (SCO) tomorrow, January 18.

The event has been organised by the South Lanarkshire WCC who include three local teams in the ten team two pool field.


Club secretary David Morgan told The Glasgow Evening Times the club, which has 33 players and includes members of the Great Britain Paralympic development squad, is all geared up for the two-day event.

“We wanted to invite some good teams to play us. At first, we hoped for about four teams to confirm, but we have 10 and it will be a great event."

Recently appointed Great Britain coach Tony Zumack is still awaiting paperwork for his move from Alberta, so the Scots, who have two new members, Gregor Ewan and Michael Mackenzie, will be mentored by Sheila Swan.

Skip Aileen Nielson comments; “We are really looking forward to the International competition at Hamilton. It is an exciting start to a new cycle with a new team. It will be a good trial, and, for me it is a great opportunity to skip the team and develop and build team dynamics.”

Canada will play four round robin games games beginning against Sweden at 9AM local time Tuesday January 18. The first 3 teams play across the pools at 2.20PM Wednesday. Results will first be posted HERE.


Pool A
Canada
Lanarkshire 3
Mainhatten Ice Rollers - (Jens Jäger)
Scotland 2
Sweden

Pool B
Czech Republic
Germany (Marcus Sieger)
Lanarkshire 1
Lanarkshire 2
Scotland 1

"The job I have been working towards for 16 years" Tony Zummack GB coach

Team Great Britain's new coach, Tony Zummack from Calgary Alberta, says he has always known that he wanted to become involved with coaching at the national level.

"You can't argue with the success of Canada's national program," he told me today. "Gerry Peckham and Joe Rea have been very successful, and you can't expect it to be dismantled to let someone else have a go. So when I learned about the British job last October, I decided to apply."

It was announced today that Zummack will replace Tom Pendreigh as the British Wheelchair Curling Coach, joining a team of five national high performance coaches. He has a four year contract that runs through the end of 2014, and will begin his duties in January.

He feels the experience he gained coaching Calgary's Team Smart, perennial Alberta Champions, over the past two plus seasons, has prepared him for the challenge.

"Team Alberta works just as hard and does the same things in training as Team Canada. What they don't have is the financial resources for sports psychologists and trainers and opportunities for travel.

"But what we have done in Calgary is a solid grounding for what needs to be done in a national program. I am just sorry that I won't be there to see them compete in Edmonton, but I know they are good enough to win a national championship, especially with the return of Bruno Yizek, who brings so many things to the team."

The Zummack's will be relocating to Stirling, Scotland which is north of both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Their daughter will transfer to Sterling University after her winter semester, but Tony is anxious to get to Scotland to meet his new team.

"They have a high performance squad that is about the same size as in Canada, and their team for the 2011 Worlds in Prague has already been picked, so it will be a case of getting to know them and seeing where we are," he says.

So your first job will be to pick a skip? "Who says I'll be the one to choose who skips?" he replied, which on reflection was a pretty athlete-centred answer.

British wheelchair curlers have under-performed expectations for several years now. "I'm not going to be making big changes right away," said Zummack. "It will take time to assess the players and the program. I'll have the summer to discuss with Performance Director Dave Crosbee what if any changes should be made.

"I'll also be travelling and watching other players. As a full-time coach part of my job will be talent identification. That's a lot easier in a geographically smaller country like Scotland, where it will be possible to drive to regularly see players in the way that Canada's size makes more difficult.

"I'm looking forward to working with Dave Crosbee and Rhona Martin, people with more international experience than I have. But I am confident that I can bring success to the program. Success brings funding and funding brings success. I am really looking forward to the challenge."

Team Scotland newcomers profiled

Gregor Ewan - Jan 2010 [photo - Bob Cowan]

Team Scotland newcomer Gregor Ewan says he wants Scots skip Aileen Neilson's job. He was interviewed with club and now national teammate Michael McKenzie by Dave Edwards in today's The Press and Journal.

Dufftown-based Ewan told Edwards: “Winning the British championships with the Moray club last weekend was pretty special but being chosen to represent Scotland in the world championships is up there as well.

“The next step is the Olympics. My goal was to get to the world championships, win gold over the next couple of years then reach the Olympic Games.

“I am skip for Moray and, although Aileen Neilson is the Scotland skip, I intend to challenge her for that honour. To be asked to play for your country in any capacity is a great honour. When you are a kid growing up pulling on that Scotland jersey is everyone’s dream."  Read more.

Scottish team announced for 2011 Worlds in Prague

Michael McKenzie and Gregor Ewan

The team that will represent Scotland at the 2011 World Championships beginning February 21 in Prague sees two newcomers, Gregor Ewan and Michael McKenzie, join Aileen Neilson, Angie Malone and Tom Killin.

Gregor and Michael are from Moray in the north of Scotland, and played on the team that won last weekend's British Open Championship over Aileen Neilson's Braehead rink. Interesting that the announcement on the Royal Caledonian CC website (Britain's equivalent to the CCA) is titled 2010-11 Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association National Team selection.

Scotland sends its national team to the Worlds, but competes at the Paralympics as Great Britain. Qualification for the 2014 Sochi Paralympics depends on performance at the next three World Championships.

All the Scottish curling team coaches' contracts expire this month, and while it is thought that present wheelchair coach Tom Pendreigh is interested in a job, it may not be with the wheelchair team. For an insight into the politics surrounding Scottish curling's administration, see Bob Cowan's December editorial.

 Gregor Ewan and Aileen Neilson - rivals last week, teammates this.

Michael McCreadie leaving national team

Micheal McCreadie (photo Bob Cowan)

Team Great Britain skip Michael McCreadie was a notable absentee from the list of individual athletes selected to the British Wheelchair Curling Squad for Season 2010 - 2011.  Gregor Ewan, Jim Gault and Michael McKenzie join recent team members Tom Killin, Rosemary Lenton, Angie Malone, Aileen Neilson and Jim Sellar.

There was no mention whether Tom Pendreigh remains as coach.

Bob Cowan reports Michael saying, "I have decided to take a season out of international competition and re-assess next season."

Expectations of success are as high in Scotland as in Canada. Michael was unable to repeat, as leader of the generously sponsored program, the success he enjoyed as vice to Frank Duffy, and admits the pressure of the past couple of years affected his enjoyment of the sport. Read Bob's report HERE.