Team Canada to get their banner

Team Canada will receive their World Championship banner during a presentation at the CurlBC AGM at the Richmond CC, Saturday June 11.

Canada's national team coach Joe Rea will be on hand to give brief remarks and answer questions at 11.45am.

Four of the five members of the team plus the coach live in BC.

A full schedule of the day's events, which will also be available online via webcast, can be found HERE.

Team Canada training in Kelowna this weekend

Team Canada made an unannounced appearance at the Kelowna CC this morning and are on the ice now (noon) in what is the last opportunity for the team to get together before the Prague Worlds (Feb 21 - March 3). The BC Provincials are next weekend, and Jim Armstrong is due to be in Seattle the following Friday. National Team Coach Joe Rea is leading this weekend's session.

They have ice time booked for 8AM tomorrow (Sunday) for anyone local interested in seeing them.

Sunday Update - Chris Sobkowicz has joined Jim, Darryl and Ina for the Sunday morning session.

Canada beats Scotland to win Lanarkshire International

Back - Ian Dunn, Beith Forrest, Judy Mackenzie (SWCA Chairperson) and sponsor John Bell
Front – Chris Sobkowicz, Darryl Neighbour, Jim Armstrong, Sonja Gaudet and Ina Forrest

Canada posted two 4 enders to see off Scotland 2 in their morning draw, setting up a final with Scotland 1, who lost their unbeaten record, falling 6-5 in the morning to Hosts 1 after giving up a 4-ender.

In the final Scotland were behind 5-3 with hammer, but gave up a steal of 2 in the 7th (final) end and Canada won 7-3, finishing the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record.

The Czechs played Sweden in the battle of 2nd place teams, going out to a 4-1 lead and hanging on for a 4-3 victory. Scotland 2 beat Hosts 1 in the game between 3rd place teams.

Results of the two morning draws and the afternoon finals can be found HERE

A news report is available HERE and a video can beviewed HERE

Bob Cowan follows wheelchair curling in Scotland and attended some of the action on Tuesday. You can see his photos HERE. He also noted that in the game he watched. Darryl Neighbour skipped while Jim played front end.

Angela Higson, a South Lanarkshire WCC member and event organiser
[photo - Bob Cowan]

Canada and Scotland 3 for 3 on first day of Lanarkshire International

Team Canada flew to Scotland on Sunday, and at 9AM on Tuesday were on the ice for the first of three draws on Day 1 of the Lanarkshire International at the Hamilton (SCO) Ice Rink.

Scottish TV had cameras there at the start of the event. You can see the video at this link.

Bruno Yizek was ill and unable to travel; his place taken by Manitoba's Chris Sobkowicz.

Any jet lag did not seem to affect their performance as they posted 3 wins. They fell behind early in the opener against Sweden, but a 3 in the 3rd put them ahead, and they handed Jalle Jungnell his first loss as a National Coach, 6-3 in 7 ends. Sweden recovered to win their next two games, 8-6 over Scotland 2, and 6-5 over Mainhatten.

In Canada's second game Jens Jager's Mainhatten Ice Rollers managed only a single point in a 7-1 score in 6 ends.

Canada finished a hectic day with a 7-4 win over Host Team 3 from the South Lanarkshire WCC.

Scotland, still without new coach Tony Zummack, also posted 3 wins: 13-4 over Hosts 2, 6-2 over Marcus Sieger's Germany, and 11-2 over the Czech Republic. No word about where the Scots are delivering their stones from.

Line scores of all the games are HERE
Tables after Day 1 are HERE

Team Canada 2011 set for Prague World Championships

We have just received official confirmation that Team Canada for the 2011 World Championships in Prague, February 21 to March 3, will be:

Jim Armstrong (BC) - skip
Darryl Neighbour (BC) - 3rd
Ina Forrest (BC) - 2nd
Sonja Gaudet (BC) - lead
Bruno Yizek (AB) - alternate

Coach - Joe Rea
Team Leader - Wendy Morgan
Mental Trainer - Dr.Laura Farres

This is the same team that won gold in Vancouver last March. Hopefully a team photo will be available soon.

In response to a query about Team Canada's low profile this season, Program Director Gerry Peckham responded:  "This has basically been a year off as it relates to the intensity and profile of Team Canada activities. Our focus has been on regionally based talent ID and development and our NTP athletes have been engaged in assisting Wendy and Joe with that undertaking along with a personal focus on their own skill development. They are willingly “putting back into the sport” and have done an excellent job on behalf of the program in the years to come….


"We will gear up again next year."

It is understandable that after the rigours and the success of last season, National Team Program (NTP) members were entitled to an easier year post-Vancouver, and some have been very active in various CCA sponsored regional initiatives this season.

On the other hand, with interest in wheelchair curling potentially at its highest after a Paralympic gold medal, more CCA or NTP information (and dare we suggest photos) on just what the national team has been doing since March would capitalise on that interest.

While this blog receives responses to specific questions, the best publicity is proactive. Perhaps it's time for someone at the CCA or the NTP to be responsible for, and committed to, gathering and sharing publicity information.

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

Weekly Poll - #2

There were 35 entries in last weeks poll, with 57% of the votes cast saying that Chris Daw would appear as a member of Team Canada before the Sochi Paralympics in 2014.

Team Canada fly to Scotland on Sunday January 16 to take part in the Lanarkshire International hosted by the South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Curling Club.

The ten team field includes teams from Scotland, Sweden, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Games times (thanks Bob Cowan) are Tuesday 18 at 09.00, 12.30, 15.10
Wednesday 19 at 09.00, 12.30, with the Final at 15.10.

This week's question: will Canada win all their games in Lanarkshire? Press the button on the right margin of the blog, that corresponds to your opinion.

Poll closes before play begins on January 18th.

Team Canada to play in Lanarkshire International Jan 18-19.

Canadian national team coach Joe Rea will be taking his gold medal winning Paralympics team; Jim Armstrong, Darryl Neighbour, Ina Forrest, Sonja Gaudet and Bruno Yizek, to Scotland in January for a pre-Worlds warm-up.

Wendy Morgan confirmed today that despite apparently uninformed speculation, Jim Armstrong has both his passport and a ticket. The team will leave for Edinburgh January 16, returning January 20.

They will be playing in the Lanarkshire International, January 18-19, in Hamilton, organized by the South Lanarkshire Wheelchair Curling Club.

Teams competing include two each from Scotland, Germany and Russia as well as Canada, Czech Republic and Sweden.

Sweden will be coached by their long-time skip Jalle Jungnell, who retired from international competition as a player after wining bronze at the Vancouver Paralympics.

CCA in quandary over 2011 Worlds selection

Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong

Contrary to rumours circulating at Richmond last week, there has been no final decision on who will represent Canada at the 2011 World Championships in Prague, February 21st to March 3rd.

Wendy Morgan told me that the decision had not been finalised and would require CCA approval. So, presumably, would any team selection where the CCA is picking up the tab. Greg Stremlaw, CEO of the CCA, confirmed today: "A final decision of the team that will represent Canada at the 2011 WWhCC will likely be made by the end of this month."

National program director Gerry Peckham has in the past shown a reluctance to change a winning team, and under normal circumstances there would be no expectation of changes to the five who won gold at the Paralympics last March. Jim Armstrong's legal problems complicate things, however.

The CCA and the major funders for the national wheelchair program, Sports Canada and Own The Podium, have yet to decide whether Jim's actions as outlined in his plea of guilty to distributing pills with an intent to deceive, presented to a Seattle Federal judge, "reflect detrimentally upon the image of the National Team Program, CCA or Canada." Do the offenses to which Jim has admitted, constitute grounds for removal from the national program?

The CCA is in a quandary. They are obviously reluctant to give up on a person considered instrumental to Team Canada's success at the Worlds and Paralympics, especially as Jim has intimated that his actions will be seen differently when he is free to offer a mitigating explanation for the admissions in his plea, presumably after sentencing on January 28th.

The CCA can delay deciding whether Armstrong should still qualify for national program membership and benefits, but the practicalities of travel arrangements for the World Championships in Prague, Feb 21 - March 3, mean that a team must be chosen before then.

It is possible that if Jim removes himself from consideration for Prague, or if the CCA considers it too great a risk to select someone at the mercy of a US Federal judge for his freedom, a team selection decision could be made independently of a national program status decision.

Jim could take the long term view here, helping the CCA by saying that he won't go to Prague, but defending himself and his status in the national program when he feels free to do so.

Whatever the decision, Greg Stremlaw says, "I can assure you that the CCA will definitely be ready for the WWhCC and ongoing analysis and plans are well underway." It is confidence echoed by coach Joe Rea who told me recently that the team is prepared for any eventuality.

Richmond International Day 1 - scores and photos

Canada's gold medal Paralympic team began the 4th Annual Richmond International Cashspiel with two wins on the first day of round robin play.

Draw 1 - 9.30am December 1

Canada A #  0 0 4 3 1 2 X X - 10

Korea A     2 2 0 0 0 0 X X - 4

4C's        0 0 1 0 1 0 X X - 2

Evergreen # 1 1 0 1 0 0 X X - 3

Richmond RCD 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 X - 5

Korea B #    2 0 2 0 0 0 2 X - 6

Bye Canada B

Draw 2

Canada A    0 1 0 2 1 0 1 - 5

4 C's #     0 0 3 0 0 1 0 - 4

Evergreen #   1 0 0 1 0 0 2 X - 4

Richmond RCD  0 1 2 0 1 2 0 X - 6

Korea  B # 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 x  -  3

Canada B   1 0 0 2 1 2 0 X  -  6

Bye Korea A

Canada A - Sonja, Jim, Darryl and Ina

Richmond International Cashspiel begins Dec. 1st

The 4th Annual Richmond International Cashspiel begins 9.30 am Wednesday December 1st at the Richmond CC, sponsored by the Richmond Centre for Disability. Team Canada's gold medal team will be competing for the first time since Vancouver, and possibly for the only time before the 2011 Worlds in Prague next February. Korea are fielding two teams, an American team from Portland Oregon's Evergreen CC have traveled north, and Chris Daw has his much anticipated return to the ice on the 4C's team.

Canada A play Korea A in the opening draw. Draw times are 9.30am and 1.30pm with the final between the top two teams after round robin play scheduled for 1.30pm, Saturday December 4.

Event details and links to the Draw Schedule are HERE.

Results will be posted as and when available. If anyone attending cares to send photos I'll post those too. (Please include names!)

Comment from Team Canada coach Joe Rea

Team Canada coaches this season are undertaking two tasks. The first, to prepare a team that will travel to Prague next February to defend their World title and hopefully gain their first points towards qualifying for the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. The second, to organise a series of talent identification and development camps across the country, giving those wheelchair users not currently part of the national program, an opportunity to demonstrate their skills.

Whenever there is a post about Team Canada the comments tend to concentrate on personalities: why has this person been favoured over that, why isn't this person being considered, my dad's bigger than your dad and so on. To 'clear up any confusion', National Team Coach Joe Rea writes:

"Just to clear the air about who attended the Richmond Camp last weekend: it was Jim, Darryl, Ina, Sonja, Bruno, Chris Sobkowicz, Gerry Austgarden, Gary Cormack, Whitney Warren and Frank LaBounty. 

"These players were invited to camp because of their record in Nationals last season and/or being part of the last cuts to Team Canada. 

"We will also have a second team competing in the Richmond (RDC) spiel at the beginning of December consisting of Gerry Austgarden, Anne Hibberd from Calgary, Whitney and Frank. Bruno Yizek will start playing with a second Korean team, which is a player short.

"We are continuing with the regional camps in each province to help identify potential Team Canada pool participants over the balance of this season. I hope this clears up any confusion."

Attendance at the provincial camps is at the discretion of provincial, not national coaches. Although CCA guidance was for provincial champions and perhaps one or two additional players to be invited, different provinces have taken different approaches to who and how many should attend.

"By the end of the season," Joe Rea told me, "we will have seen most if not all players with the skills and attitude to become part of Team Canada. If anyone feels they have been overlooked, they must ask their provincial coaches to recommend that we take a look at them. Players are asked to make a big commitment, and one of the things these provincial camps allow us to do is explain what is expected. We understand that players seen at the beginning of the season will not have had the same opportunities to practice as those seen later, but the evaluation process is not just about statistics."

In addition to the Richmond spiel in December, Team Canada hope to take a team to Scotland in the middle of January, though whether that will be the medal team or a development team hasn't been decided.

At the end of the season, after the provincial camps, there will be a large Team Canada training camp of players who will form the core group for the 2014 Paralympics, though it will still be possible to break into this group next season.

"Standards of play have risen significantly over the past several years," says Joe Rea. "We need players who have the time and commitment to put in the necessary work. We also need players who understand the game, and have what it takes to be a team player. The aim is for an open and honest evaluation to make the Canadian Team.”

The CCA, to their credit, have made an effort this year to give everyone who's shown ability, an opportunity to impress national coaches. The path is clear - convince your province's wheelchair curling co-ordinator that you should attend a camp in your area, and then show who you are and what you can do. You may not make it, but at least you'll have had the opportunity to try.

Team Canada to attend first camp since Vancouver gold

Canada's gold medal winning team, plus late cuts to the squad Chris Sobkowicz and Gerry Austgarden, will be attending their first camp since the Vancouver Paralympics, this weekend in Richmond, BC.

National team coach Joe Rea and sport psychologist Dr. Laura Farres of Mind In Motion Consulting Inc. will be at the camp. Dr. Farres' article "Preparing Mentally for Major Events" can be read HERE

Team Canada take to the ice at Richmond Cashspiel Dec 1-4

The Richmond Centre for Disability is sponsoring their 4th Annual International Bonspiel from December 1-4, at the Richmond CC.

Team Canada coaches are forming two teams and Wendy Morgan confirmed that Jim will be playing. Initial team listings show Jim, Darryl, Ina, Sonja and Bruno on one team, with Gerry Austgarden returning to the fold, skipping Frank LaBounty, Whitney Warren and Alberta's Anne Hibberd. Coach Joe Rea may juggle those line-ups during the competition.

Korea, who featured in last year's event, are bringing seven players and three players from the Evergreen CC in Portland, Oregon, will compete in a team skipped by Vancouver's Bob MacDonald. One of the Americans, Stephen Hart, recently returned from a spiel in McCall, Idaho where he was the only wheelchair user at the event.

Stephen Hart - Evergreen CC in Portland, OR

Manitoba's Chris Sobkowicz's team includes Gary Cormack, Chris Daw and Corinne Jensen. Three skips and a lead will be fun to watch. Host Team R.C.D. includes past and present Canadian National Champions Jacqueline Roy, Samantha Siu, Vince Miele, Rich Green and Tom Parker. A seventh team will be made up of those attending but not selected for the other sides.

Play begins on Wednesday, December 1st, and concludes with the playoffs on Saturday, December 4th.  Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams with $1,000 being awarded to the first place team.  There will also be $50 prize money awarded for each win during round-robin play.

CLICK HERE for more event details.

Team Canada news

Team Canada members will get together the weekend of November 19-21 in Richmond BC for the first time as a group since their triumph at the Vancouver Paralympics. Chris Sobkowicz and Gerry Austgarden have also been invited to attend the training camp.

While there is inevitable speculation about the eventual status of Jim Armstrong  given his legal predicament, the CCA's chief executive officer Greg Stremlaw confirmed with me today that Jim remains a member of Team Canada and eligible for selection to the national side.


"I can relay that the process related to Jim Armstrong and our review with multiple stakeholders is on-going," Stremlaw told me via email.

"If and when there is information which is to be shared with the public about this review, we will advise in a timely fashion.

"That said, I do not expect any developments in the next few days (so) therefore there is no change until such time as these procedures, as a minimum, have been taken."

Stakeholders in this context include Sport Canada, who fund the carding system, and Own The Podium who contribute money to the national program.

Jim has been taking the occasional practice at the Richmond CC, and is expected to partner with teammate Darryl Neighbour at the 3rd Annual Stick (2on2) Bonspiel at the Golden Ears CC in Maple Ridge BC November 13-14.

Speaking of Darryl, he joined coach Wendy Morgan in Winnipeg this past weekend for the second of Team Canada's nationwide tour of talent identification and development camps. Team Sobkowicz and Team Thiessen were joined by Northern Ontario champs Team Ficek for the weekend tryouts.