News from Manitoba

 Chris Sobkowicz at the 2011 Nationals
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Manitoba, the current national champions, were a team born into controversy with some consideration given by the Province to not appearing at the 2011 Edmonton Nationals. Gold medals probably eased any Curl Manitoba qualms about sponsoring a self-selected and unopposed provincial representative.

A proposed Spring meeting to discuss minimum playdown requirements and/or selection protocols apparently did not materialise, but as this season begins, skip Chris Sobkowicz has gathered a group of eight who are participating in a development program sponsored by Cancade Inc.

They play in 3 mixed leagues, practice twice a week, and play in 3 different two person stick leagues.

"It's completely open to anyone," Chris told me. "It's like a sports academy where we all learn the same strategies and techniques, work collectively on our program of activities with a competitive angle, and of course enjoy each other's company.

"We'll be hosting a "You can Do it" camp later in November headed by coach Rob Lamb and the MCA. This will focus mainly on people new to the game, and offer a recreational component."

"Team Cascade" will compete in next week's Richmond International, with Northern Ontario transplant Mark Wherrett replacing Don Kalinsky from the national championship squad.

The 2012 Team Manitoba will be chosen by provincial team coach Rob Lamb from those participating in the Cascade programme.

Broken promises and hurt feelings in Manitoba

Dennis Thiessen braced by erstwhile teammate Michael Alberg
[photo - Ian Readey 2009]

It was no secret to anyone watching the 2010 Nationals in Kelowna last March that Chris Sobkowicz's Team Manitoba were an unhappy group.

So it came as no surprise to learn at the beginning of this season that long time teammates Chris Sobkowicz and Dennis Thiessen had decided to form their own teams and compete against each other for the right to represent Manitoba at the 2011 Nationals in Edmonton AB.

Thiessen's teammates, Effie Loubardias, Michael Alberg and Heather Mowat who travelled over 500kms for each team practice, raised funds to participate in spiels in Calgary and Ottawa, knowing and agreeing that this season would likely be a development year.

At the end of November, Dennis told them "I don't feel we as a team are ready for it yet," and that he would be playing with Chris Sobkowicz after all.

The lateness of his announcement meant there was no time for the remaining players to find a replacement, and Team Sobkowicz was declared Manitoba's provincial team by default.

Nothing wrong with wanting to win, but at what cost in broken promises? The hurt feelings that will be the legacy of preparations for the 2011 campaign are not likely to help development of the sport in Manitoba.

Shake-up at Team Manitoba

It will come as no surprise to anyone who watched Manitoba play last March in Kelowna, BC, that the team has split up after three successive national championship bronze medals. They did not look happy on or off the ice.

This season Chris Sobkowicz and third Dennis Thiessen will each skip a team and compete against each other in the Manitoba playdown.

Chris will play with 2010 teammates George Horning and Terry Lindell and has been practicing at Winnipeg's Assiniboine CC with several players who may make the team.

Dennis Thiessen will reconnect with Michael Alberg, a teammate on the 2008 and 2009 Manitoba team, along with Effie Loubardias and a newcomer to wheelchair curling, Heather Mowat. They will play out of the East St. Paul CC in Winnipeg and compete at the 6th Annual Cathy Kerr Memorial the third week in November.

Effie Loubardias, Dennis Thiessen, Michael Alberg and Heather Mowat.

It is encouraging that there are enough participants in Manitoba that teams can reform. Expectations are that three teams will compete in the 2011 provincials. No word as to whether long-time provincial lead Arlene Ursel will play this year.

Canadian wheelchair curlers win Team Of The Year Award

The Canadian wheelchair curling team was named Team Of The Year after winning the 2009 World Championship.

The True Sport Foundation's award was presented at the 37th Canadian Sports Awards, March 3rd in Toronto, recognising the country's top amateur athletes. The winners were chosen by an independent jury and were selected over the men’s IIHF world championship squad and the national women’s water polo team.

Ina Forrest, Chris Sobkowicz and Team Leader Wendy Morgan attended the luncheon.

Team Sobkowicz takes Manitoba playdown

Chris Sobkowicz, Dennis Thiessen, George Horning, Arlene Ursel, Terry Lindell

2010 Manitoba Champions  -  photo  Katrina Thiessen

Chris Sobkowicz will represent Manitoba for the fifth time at the Canadian Nationals in Kelowna, March 15-21,after defeating Richard Dudek in a best of three playdown at the East St. Paul Curling Club. He made one change from the 2009 team, George Horning replacing Michael Alberg. Alberg played for the challengers, with Don Kalinsky and Effie Loubardias. 

Manitoba are an experienced side and will be favoured to improve on the bronze medals they won at the previous two Nationals; especially with with BC losing JIm Armstrong and Alberta losing Brno Yizek  to the Paralympics.

USA beat Great Britain in Cathy Kerr final

Teams had an early start Sunday morning as the semi-finals of the the Annual Cathy Kerr Memorial Spiel began at 8.30am at Ottawa's RA Club.

Great Britain beat Chris Sobkowicz's Manitobans 6-3 and USA beat last year's Ontario champions Team Gregory 8-6.

In the afternoon final it was USA over Great Britain 9-4, with Gregory claiming bronze with a 9-5 win over Sobkowicz. Great Britain had Michael McCreadie calling the game from 3rd with Aileen Nielsen throwing last rocks. Team USA rotated their fifth player, who then skipped the USA 2 side.

In the recreation division Robert Michel was the winner and Aaron Wong-Sing was the runner-up. Both teams are from Ottawa.

The results mean that Bruce Cameron, Ken Gregory and Chris Rees all qualify for the Ontario ParaSports Winter Games to be held in Kingston in January 2010. Richard Fraser will be the alternate.

During the semis and finals, the other competitive teams curled for pride and experience so everyone had six games over the weekend.

Canada and USA line-ups for Cathy Kerr announced

Canada and USA have announced their teams for the 3 day Ottawa spiel starting tomorrow.

Canada I - Armstrong (skip), Neighbour, Forrest, and Cormack all from BC.
Canada II - Austgarden (skip BC), Yizek (AB), Sobkowicz (MB) and Gaudet (BC)

USA I - Perez (skip NY), Pierce (NY), Joseph (NY) and Kapinowski (NJ)
USA II - McDonald (Skip CA), Heathcoat (WI), Dorsett (PA) and Delano (NY)

Canadian coach Wendy Morgan was at pains to point out that their teams did not indicate who would represent Canada at the 2009 Worlds. That decision  will be announced next week so that the team can play together at the Richmond International spiel the following weekend.

Armstrong, Neighbour, and Forrest are favourites to make the cut, with Gaudet the alternate if coach Rea follows past practice of including two women. That would leave Torino gold medallists Austgarden and Cormack competing with Yizek and Sobkowicz for the remaining front end position. Performance this weekend will influence selection, but all things being equal the vote may go to Sobkowicz in a move away from an all-BC team. Have an opinion? Post it in the comments.

The USA trials last weekend was the major factor in deciding which 8 athletes would compete in Ottawa. USA I, bronze medallists  at the 2008 Worlds, appear to have weathered the challenge of 6 other athletes though a final decision on the 2009 Team USA will not be officially announced until December 14th, after the US Open.

Manitobans compete against 3 all-time greats

photo courtesy TheCurler.com

Chris Sobkowicz led his Manitoba champions against Kerry Burtnyk, Jeff Stoughton and Vic Peters in an awareness and fundraising matchup on arena style ice at the Monsanto Sliding In Summer Bonspiel in Warren, MB.

"Our goal is to play as many games as possible against able-bodied teams, provide awareness to the curling public, and of course, become better curlers," says Sobkowicz.

Read reports from TheCurler.com and the Winnipeg Sun.

Manitobans competing in Bismarck, ND

KXMB TV has a video report from the Summer Bonspiel at the Capital Curling Club in Bismarck, North Dakota. A team from Winnipeg skipped by Chris Sobkowicz is competing and are interviewed in the report. [watch]

Team Manitoba challenges Burtnyk, Stoughton and Peters

The  Winnipeg Free Press reports that Manitoba's Big Three of Kerry Burtnyk, Jeff Stoughton and Vic Peters will take part in a "demonstration challenge game" against Chris Sobowicz's Provincial Champions and 2008 Canadian bronze medallists.

The game will be played at 7pm on August 21st during the Monsanto Sliding In Summer Spiel in Warren, MB.