Jacqui Kapinowski
The USA Paralympics website has a profile and interview with Team USA lead Jacqui Kapinowski, who talks about her start in wheelchair curling, her training and her expectations for 2010. [read more]
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wheelchair curling snubbed by Paralympics broadcasters
A report in Broadcaster Magazine details Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium's planned coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics. It will be a full schedule of inspirational personal stories, 90 minutes of daily highlights, and every sledge hockey game, including live broadcast of the final.
No mention that Canada are the reigning World and Paralympics wheelchair curling champions, and no specific wheelchair curling coverage. [read article]
No mention that Canada are the reigning World and Paralympics wheelchair curling champions, and no specific wheelchair curling coverage. [read article]
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Danish coach Per Christensen takes over Team Norway
IN - Denmark's Per Christensen
.
Out - Norway's Thoralf Hognestad
Thoralf Hognestad, says: "Due to a new work situation, I have resigned as coach of Team Norway."
Thoralf joined the team after they narrowly lost to Canada in the semi-final at Torino, a game he feels Norway should have won. His team did win the World Championship in 2007 and 2008.
Thoralf's teams were known for winning, not for statistical accomplishment. He selected athletes of proven ability in other sports and moulded them into repeat world champions. "We don't play the able-bodied game," he'd say. "We play the wheelchair game, and we always have a back-up plan." He put down the lack of success in 2009 to the lack of a local training facility for the entire season. "We just couldn't practice enough," he said, though Norway were still able to defeat Canada in a meaningful last round robin draw.
He has struggled to balance coaching and work commitments for some time, and hands off to Denmark's Per Christensen. Per, 53, has been coach of the Danish national wheelchair curling team since 2004 and attended the 2009 Worlds as an observer. He shared my surprise that so few teams came into their games against Canada with a specific plan to win.
"I would for sure, tell my team how to play the Canadian team. It was for me easy to see how it could be done," he told me, without divulging the details. In Team Norway he has curlers who have proved they know how to win. We'll see how good his plan is, and how well they implement it in Vancouver next March.
Thoralf joined the team after they narrowly lost to Canada in the semi-final at Torino, a game he feels Norway should have won. His team did win the World Championship in 2007 and 2008.
Thoralf's teams were known for winning, not for statistical accomplishment. He selected athletes of proven ability in other sports and moulded them into repeat world champions. "We don't play the able-bodied game," he'd say. "We play the wheelchair game, and we always have a back-up plan." He put down the lack of success in 2009 to the lack of a local training facility for the entire season. "We just couldn't practice enough," he said, though Norway were still able to defeat Canada in a meaningful last round robin draw.
He has struggled to balance coaching and work commitments for some time, and hands off to Denmark's Per Christensen. Per, 53, has been coach of the Danish national wheelchair curling team since 2004 and attended the 2009 Worlds as an observer. He shared my surprise that so few teams came into their games against Canada with a specific plan to win.
"I would for sure, tell my team how to play the Canadian team. It was for me easy to see how it could be done," he told me, without divulging the details. In Team Norway he has curlers who have proved they know how to win. We'll see how good his plan is, and how well they implement it in Vancouver next March.
Charlottetown PEI holding Give-It-A-Go on June 16
Parasport and Recreation PEI and the Canadian Paraplegic Assoc. are sponsoring a Give-It-A-Go session at the CARI Complex in Charlottetown PEI, 4-6pm on Tuesday June 16. For more information contact Cathleen MacKinnon at 902-3699-4540 or by email.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Aileen Neilson honoured at South Lanarkshire Awards
photo courtesy Bob Cowan
Paul Thomson of the East Kilbride News reports: "It was a great night for Strathaven’s Aileen Neilson as she collected the prize for Adult Female Sports Personality of the Year. A South Lanarkshire Primary School teacher, she curls at the Lanarkshire club as well as in Braehead and was fully deserving of her accolade.
"During the last year she represented Scotland and Great Britain in numerous international tournaments in Europe, America and Canada. And it was in Canada where she competed at the highest wheelchair curling level, being selected to represent Great Britain at the World Championships in Vancouver where the team finished in fifth position.
"From world achievement to national success, Aileen was also in the rink which won the Scottish Championships in Aberdeen."
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Team Canada 2010 (almost) set
It has been a fairly safe assumption for some time now that Canada's team for the 2010 Paralympics would include Jim Armstrong at skip and Darryl Neighbour at 3rd. Coach Wendy Morgan's confirmation that the team would include two women, left just one slot open for speculation.
High Performance Director Gerry Peckham confirmed last night that failing injury or unforeseen circumstance, or a catastrophic loss of form, Ina Forrest and Sonja Gaudet would join Jim and Darryl on the team.
"Their performance within the selection process over the past few years and their gold medal achievement at the 2009 World Wheelchair Championships has placed them in excellent stead to be selected to the 2010 Team," he said.
"We felt it made sense to let the athletes know their relative status as early as possible, to help each of them plan their year. We have added Jackie Roy, an accomplished curler, as a backup to Ina and Sonja, as we are committed to having two females on the team. Chris Sobkowicz, Bruno Yizek and Gerry Austgarden will compete for the remaining slot.
"The carded athletes for the yearly cycle beginning this July are the five members who won the 2009 Worlds, plus Bruno Yizek on a "D" (development) card. Cardings are always a lagging indicator, based on past performance. Bruno was carded as he was 6th on our depth chart, though with everyone so close, that doesn't imply he is favoured to make the team over Gerry and Chris."
The squad will play in Norway and Scotland between October 12 and 23, and Peckham says selection of the 2010 Paralympic team will occur that month.
High Performance Director Gerry Peckham confirmed last night that failing injury or unforeseen circumstance, or a catastrophic loss of form, Ina Forrest and Sonja Gaudet would join Jim and Darryl on the team.
"Their performance within the selection process over the past few years and their gold medal achievement at the 2009 World Wheelchair Championships has placed them in excellent stead to be selected to the 2010 Team," he said.
"We felt it made sense to let the athletes know their relative status as early as possible, to help each of them plan their year. We have added Jackie Roy, an accomplished curler, as a backup to Ina and Sonja, as we are committed to having two females on the team. Chris Sobkowicz, Bruno Yizek and Gerry Austgarden will compete for the remaining slot.
"The carded athletes for the yearly cycle beginning this July are the five members who won the 2009 Worlds, plus Bruno Yizek on a "D" (development) card. Cardings are always a lagging indicator, based on past performance. Bruno was carded as he was 6th on our depth chart, though with everyone so close, that doesn't imply he is favoured to make the team over Gerry and Chris."
The squad will play in Norway and Scotland between October 12 and 23, and Peckham says selection of the 2010 Paralympic team will occur that month.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Cormack out, Roy in as Team Canada squad prepare for 2010
BC lead Jackie Roy March 2009
photo - Ian Readey
photo - Ian Readey
Canada's Paralympics squad includes a third female, Jackie Roy, who takes the place of fellow British Columbian Gary Cormack.
Coach Wendy Morgan said that the decision had been made to include two females in the final team. This reflects program director Gerry Peckham's concern that having only one female posed an unnecessary risk of default were she unable to play.
Given this concern, a third female makes sense, both to provide backup and some competition for places until the team is announced late this year.
Jackie Roy has high performance competition experience as a summer sport Paralympian, and has twice won gold at the Canadian Nationals, playing lead for Jim Armstrong. Team Canada coach Joe Rea said in February that there was little to choose between Roy and other members of the national squad.
Curlers outside of BC, especially Albertans, may be disappointed that the squad was not widened geographically, especially after Bridget Wilson's All-Star performance as lead for Team Alberta.
Team Canada are looking for someone who can throw reliable up-weight stones at lead. While Ina Forrest has that ability, the coaches prefer her at second. Sonja Gaudet is reworking her delivery to add weight, and I am not sure that Jackie Roy offers a challenge in that regard. But then neither does Alberta's Wilson.
My feeling is that given that whoever was chosen to be third woman is unlikely, absent injury, to make the final cut, the decision to pick Roy was a pragmatic one. She is a more than competent lead, has "big game" experience, plays regularly with Armstrong and Neighbour, and lives close to where most of the training is likely to take place.
Gary Cormack, a Torino gold medallist, loses his squad place, though Gerry Austgarden and Bruno Yizek have "based on the last 3 years of evaluation" been invited to "try out" for the team.
I have in the past quoted Peckham as saying that each of the eight squad members will have an equal opportunity to compete for a Paralympics team spot once training begins in July. Whether that assurance has survived the post-season evaluations remains to be seen.
The current carding cycle, the mechanism by which five curlers receive a full and one a development monthly stipend to support their training, ends in June. It will be interesting, and probably indicative of future prospects, to know who has been chosen to receive funding through 2010.
Coach Wendy Morgan said that the decision had been made to include two females in the final team. This reflects program director Gerry Peckham's concern that having only one female posed an unnecessary risk of default were she unable to play.
Given this concern, a third female makes sense, both to provide backup and some competition for places until the team is announced late this year.
Jackie Roy has high performance competition experience as a summer sport Paralympian, and has twice won gold at the Canadian Nationals, playing lead for Jim Armstrong. Team Canada coach Joe Rea said in February that there was little to choose between Roy and other members of the national squad.
Curlers outside of BC, especially Albertans, may be disappointed that the squad was not widened geographically, especially after Bridget Wilson's All-Star performance as lead for Team Alberta.
Team Canada are looking for someone who can throw reliable up-weight stones at lead. While Ina Forrest has that ability, the coaches prefer her at second. Sonja Gaudet is reworking her delivery to add weight, and I am not sure that Jackie Roy offers a challenge in that regard. But then neither does Alberta's Wilson.
My feeling is that given that whoever was chosen to be third woman is unlikely, absent injury, to make the final cut, the decision to pick Roy was a pragmatic one. She is a more than competent lead, has "big game" experience, plays regularly with Armstrong and Neighbour, and lives close to where most of the training is likely to take place.
Gary Cormack, a Torino gold medallist, loses his squad place, though Gerry Austgarden and Bruno Yizek have "based on the last 3 years of evaluation" been invited to "try out" for the team.
I have in the past quoted Peckham as saying that each of the eight squad members will have an equal opportunity to compete for a Paralympics team spot once training begins in July. Whether that assurance has survived the post-season evaluations remains to be seen.
The current carding cycle, the mechanism by which five curlers receive a full and one a development monthly stipend to support their training, ends in June. It will be interesting, and probably indicative of future prospects, to know who has been chosen to receive funding through 2010.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Ontarians challenge province's championship rulings
A late decision last season by the Ontario Curling Association to restrict participation in their provincial championship to just four teams, one from each region, denied Ontario wheelchair curlers the same opportunity for provincial honours offered other competitors. One of two Ottawa teams was eliminated in a playdown, an exclusion that was felt by supporters of wheelchair curling to be arbitrary, discriminatory and unnecessary as well as detrimental to the long term health of the sport in Ontario.
When the championship was held, there was a significant last minute change to the rules for competition that changed the expected semi-final format from three teams to four.
Various proposals for change in 2010 have been discussed at the Zone level and OCA Executive-Director Doug Bakes has promised that the Rules Committee will visit issues raised at their next meeting.
Ernie Comerford, who is working to establish a London based wheelchair curling group, has circulated an analysis of last year's problems, with constructive suggestions for change that encourage inclusion and participation, rather than arbitrary exclusion. You can read his presentation HERE (Word doc). If you have any comments or suggestions, his contact information is included in the document.
My (admittedly long-distance) impression is that the OCA, six or seven years into supporting wheelchair curling in Ontario, are disappointed that the number of participants has failed to grow significantly over that period. While that is no reason to exclude a second Ottawa team by halving, for wheelchair curlers, the usual number of teams allowed in a provincial championship, frustration with a lack of progress in participation levels may have played a part in a reluctance to take wheelchair curling as seriously as other aspects of the sport.
I would be happy to stand, or rather sit, corrected.
When the championship was held, there was a significant last minute change to the rules for competition that changed the expected semi-final format from three teams to four.
Various proposals for change in 2010 have been discussed at the Zone level and OCA Executive-Director Doug Bakes has promised that the Rules Committee will visit issues raised at their next meeting.
Ernie Comerford, who is working to establish a London based wheelchair curling group, has circulated an analysis of last year's problems, with constructive suggestions for change that encourage inclusion and participation, rather than arbitrary exclusion. You can read his presentation HERE (Word doc). If you have any comments or suggestions, his contact information is included in the document.
My (admittedly long-distance) impression is that the OCA, six or seven years into supporting wheelchair curling in Ontario, are disappointed that the number of participants has failed to grow significantly over that period. While that is no reason to exclude a second Ottawa team by halving, for wheelchair curlers, the usual number of teams allowed in a provincial championship, frustration with a lack of progress in participation levels may have played a part in a reluctance to take wheelchair curling as seriously as other aspects of the sport.
I would be happy to stand, or rather sit, corrected.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
2010 Nationals coming west, clashing with Paralympics
The CCA had hoped to have an announcement of the venue for the 2010 Canadian National Championships before the end of the very successful Halifax 2009 event. Come the final banquet, a deal had not been signed and the teams left with the traditional assurance that the 2010 championship would be held "somewhere in Canada."
The venue will be Kelowna, BC from March 16 through 21.
Kelowna CC is a 12 sheet club, recently refurbished with wheelchair access in mind. There is a large elevator to the upper lounge that will allow good spectator access.
The question remains though, with the Paralympics taking place in Vancouver at the same time and probably four and possibly all five of the national team plus the coach coming from BC, will anyone be paying attention?
The delay in announcing the venue would seem to indicate that it has been a struggle finding a club with the facilities to handle 50 plus wheelchair users and to take on the responsibility for moving them between hotels and club.
Kelowna CC has always been supportive of wheelchair curling, and was the venue for the world's first wheelchair Cashspiel featuring the Great Britain Paralympic squad, back in March 2005.
The venue will be Kelowna, BC from March 16 through 21.
Kelowna CC is a 12 sheet club, recently refurbished with wheelchair access in mind. There is a large elevator to the upper lounge that will allow good spectator access.
The question remains though, with the Paralympics taking place in Vancouver at the same time and probably four and possibly all five of the national team plus the coach coming from BC, will anyone be paying attention?
The delay in announcing the venue would seem to indicate that it has been a struggle finding a club with the facilities to handle 50 plus wheelchair users and to take on the responsibility for moving them between hotels and club.
Kelowna CC has always been supportive of wheelchair curling, and was the venue for the world's first wheelchair Cashspiel featuring the Great Britain Paralympic squad, back in March 2005.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Winnipeg Mayor honours Chris Sobkowicz
Team Canada gold medalist Chris Sobkowicz has been honoured in a City Hall ceremony by Winnipeg's Mayor Sam Katz with the Mayor's Award For Sports Excellence. [Winnipeg Free Press report HERE]
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
CTV/TSN cameras film Team Canada at practice
CTV/TSN were at the Richmond BC rink to film Team Canada at practice. The film will be used as part of their promotion of wheelchair curling during their coverage of the Paralympics next March.
Photographer Dan Bailey improvised a small sled for his camera to ge low angle close-ups of the culring stones being thrown.
.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Fort William CC renovates - will host 2012 Nationals
Dave Kawahara and wheelchair user Tracy Hurlbert
Thunder Bay's Chronicle-Journal reports Northern Ontario's Fort William CC is about to embark on a $350,00 renovation to make the facility completely wheelchair accessible.
Club president Rob Chicorli said because the lounge area at the facility is only accessible by stairs, members who use wheelchairs or have mobility problems miss out on a big part of the sport. “The game of curling is 50/50: 50 per cent action out on the ice and 50 per cent a social activity.”
Dave Kawahara, the driving force behind N. Ontario's wheelchair program added: “This project was really about inclusive living, to allow the entire community to do the things that able-bodied citizens take for granted.”
The club will host the 2012 Canadian National Championships.
Men's Worlds included wheelchair exhibition
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Need a new sports wheelchair?
RGK, a UK wheelchair manufacturer, is offering discounts of up to $3,000 on the purchase of a new wheelchair in a program initiated by Chris Daw through the CCA's Discover Curling program.
RGK wheelchairs are carried in Canada by MEDIchair and possibly others. Conditions will probably apply but if you want more information, email Chris Daw.
RGK wheelchairs are carried in Canada by MEDIchair and possibly others. Conditions will probably apply but if you want more information, email Chris Daw.
Ottawa wheelchair curlers take mixed league Trophy
Christine Lavallee, Jamie Eddy, Dour Morris, Bruce Cameron
Bruce Cameron's rink's efforts over the season competing in the RA Club's Monday Mixed League was capped by going undefeated in the final round of "A" division to win the trophy. He played with Doug Morris, Jamie Eddy and Christine Lavallee.
Had a successful season? Let us know. The more people understand that club wheelchair teams can be competitive, the more likely clubs will be open to participation by wheelchair users.
Had a successful season? Let us know. The more people understand that club wheelchair teams can be competitive, the more likely clubs will be open to participation by wheelchair users.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Posting comments
Keen observers of this blog will notice that the post about towing has been removed. It was based on a sincere remark by someone I know who drew a parallel to golfer Casey Martin. The overwhelming consensus of comments was that the comment was stupid and that I was even more stupid for posting it. Fair enough.
It also provoked many abusive personal comments, so I think that at least for a while I am going to change the blog's comment settings. You will now need to provide an OpenID to post here.
OpenID's are easy to get. You very probably already have an online identity that will work as an OpenID. Click on the link for more information.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wheelchair Watch" column from April 2009 issue of SWEEP! magazine now available online
The smiles were a long time coming, but when it was finally time to sing, the tune was O Canada. The Maple Leaf rose centre flag for the first time at a World Wheelchair Curling Championship and Team Canada skip Jim Armstrong had shown in the playoffs that you don't play for 50 years through six Briers without knowing how to coax your opponents into playing your game. [read more]
Some thoughts on the way forward for wheelchair curling - 2009
Growing the sport
Participation in wheelchair curling in Canada is paltry considering the number of venues and the number of wheelchair users able to curl. The most pressing issue is how to increase participation, and the CCA has TSX and other funding to help make that happen. Most efforts thus far have been what I consider retail operations; one-off give-it-a-go days and clinics. These have value to the individuals who hear about them and are inspired by the skills of the presenter to take up the sport. But without a follow-up plan and a committed person mentoring a nascent program, these clinics have a short shelf life. We need funding spent at the wholesale level, establishing what is needed for wheelchair curling to take root and providing resources that can be applied across the country. There are current plans to give all curling clubs information to encourage them to include wheelchair users.
To get wheelchair curling started in a new location, there needs to be someone there who is determined to make it happen, and who will organise the resources (ice-time, equipment, coaching, sponsorship etc) necessary for a program to develop. There are lots of examples where this has happened. Al Whittier at the Lennoxville CC in Quebec, Dave Kawahara in Northern Ontario, Ernie Comerford in Calgary (I know there are others) all came fresh to wheelchair curling and created something that will last beyond their personal involvement.
So how do we reach those people who will be the necessary catalyst for growth? In my opinion you begin by putting one wheelchair out on the ice, and you make that happen by publicising that possibility to Canada's club curlers. Get one wheelchair user to participate at a club, and you will have the club membership recruit others. Get three of four wheelchair users and you will attract the attention of people interested in coaching. Get a nucleus of players and you can begin to publicise them in local media, raise sponsorship money and start outreach, which is far easier to do if there is something, however small, that a recruit can attach themselves to, rather than be sold the idea of wheelchair curling and then be left wondering what to do next.
What I am suggesting is there is a proven process which needs to be replicated across Canada. Shipping in outside experts, while easy to do and easy to organise, comes after necessary groundwork is laid.
Raising the standard of play
I remember a high performance coach, at the end of a long weekend of curling strategy, psychology, team dynamics, fitness and nutrition and much more, saying "Of course, if you can't make your shots, none of this matters."
Throwing a stone with the right weight in the right direction with the right rotation depends on technique, and while with wheelchair curlers technique will depend on their individual available muscle sets, it can be taught, practiced and improved. Good technique is not about a type of delivery. It is about working with your body and not fighting your body, or your wheelchair.
Poor technique begins with a curler's first attempt to get a stone all the way down the ice, where the effort to throw hard enough never allows a controlled repeatable and dependable delivery to develop. This is why wise heads like Scots skip Michael McCreadie suggest not throwing from 120 feet until you can push a stone accurately 20, then 40 then 60 feet.
Evaluating technique and understanding enough about kinesthesiology to be able to suggest improvements is, I suspect, more than most coaches feel comfortable tackling. There was certainly a lot of really poor technique on display at the Nationals, and not just by the inexperienced teams. So the biggest single thing that an ambitious wheelchair curler can do is to examine their delivery. Are they using a pendulum delivery when they have the strength to use a more compact and stable piston delivery? Are they anchoring their off-side hand in a way that twists their body when they throw? Would an off-side brace help keep their shoulders square through delivery? Would angling the chair make them more accurate throwers, or lengthening their sticks or adding an angled hand grip to their delivery stick?
The principle here is that the harder you throw, the more likely it is that your delivery will break down unless you have developed an accurate delivery to which you have gradually added more weight.
Once you have mastered weight, direction and rotation, then you can start worrying about subtleties of strategy and tactics. Jim Armstrong certainly has the potential to advance skills like ice-reading and shot calling. Most players are nowhere near the skill level where that would be more than of academic interest. For most teams, getting five or six rocks somewhere in the house will win most of the time.
Having a widely recognised name may help spur interest in what you have to say, but the trick is knowing what needs to be said if lasting improvement and change is to be made. There are lots of potential mentors, but first let's concentrate on getting more clubs to accommodate wheelchairs, and then let's improve technique so that our stones' destination becomes less of a guess.
Participation in wheelchair curling in Canada is paltry considering the number of venues and the number of wheelchair users able to curl. The most pressing issue is how to increase participation, and the CCA has TSX and other funding to help make that happen. Most efforts thus far have been what I consider retail operations; one-off give-it-a-go days and clinics. These have value to the individuals who hear about them and are inspired by the skills of the presenter to take up the sport. But without a follow-up plan and a committed person mentoring a nascent program, these clinics have a short shelf life. We need funding spent at the wholesale level, establishing what is needed for wheelchair curling to take root and providing resources that can be applied across the country. There are current plans to give all curling clubs information to encourage them to include wheelchair users.
To get wheelchair curling started in a new location, there needs to be someone there who is determined to make it happen, and who will organise the resources (ice-time, equipment, coaching, sponsorship etc) necessary for a program to develop. There are lots of examples where this has happened. Al Whittier at the Lennoxville CC in Quebec, Dave Kawahara in Northern Ontario, Ernie Comerford in Calgary (I know there are others) all came fresh to wheelchair curling and created something that will last beyond their personal involvement.
So how do we reach those people who will be the necessary catalyst for growth? In my opinion you begin by putting one wheelchair out on the ice, and you make that happen by publicising that possibility to Canada's club curlers. Get one wheelchair user to participate at a club, and you will have the club membership recruit others. Get three of four wheelchair users and you will attract the attention of people interested in coaching. Get a nucleus of players and you can begin to publicise them in local media, raise sponsorship money and start outreach, which is far easier to do if there is something, however small, that a recruit can attach themselves to, rather than be sold the idea of wheelchair curling and then be left wondering what to do next.
What I am suggesting is there is a proven process which needs to be replicated across Canada. Shipping in outside experts, while easy to do and easy to organise, comes after necessary groundwork is laid.
Raising the standard of play
I remember a high performance coach, at the end of a long weekend of curling strategy, psychology, team dynamics, fitness and nutrition and much more, saying "Of course, if you can't make your shots, none of this matters."
Throwing a stone with the right weight in the right direction with the right rotation depends on technique, and while with wheelchair curlers technique will depend on their individual available muscle sets, it can be taught, practiced and improved. Good technique is not about a type of delivery. It is about working with your body and not fighting your body, or your wheelchair.
Poor technique begins with a curler's first attempt to get a stone all the way down the ice, where the effort to throw hard enough never allows a controlled repeatable and dependable delivery to develop. This is why wise heads like Scots skip Michael McCreadie suggest not throwing from 120 feet until you can push a stone accurately 20, then 40 then 60 feet.
Evaluating technique and understanding enough about kinesthesiology to be able to suggest improvements is, I suspect, more than most coaches feel comfortable tackling. There was certainly a lot of really poor technique on display at the Nationals, and not just by the inexperienced teams. So the biggest single thing that an ambitious wheelchair curler can do is to examine their delivery. Are they using a pendulum delivery when they have the strength to use a more compact and stable piston delivery? Are they anchoring their off-side hand in a way that twists their body when they throw? Would an off-side brace help keep their shoulders square through delivery? Would angling the chair make them more accurate throwers, or lengthening their sticks or adding an angled hand grip to their delivery stick?
The principle here is that the harder you throw, the more likely it is that your delivery will break down unless you have developed an accurate delivery to which you have gradually added more weight.
Once you have mastered weight, direction and rotation, then you can start worrying about subtleties of strategy and tactics. Jim Armstrong certainly has the potential to advance skills like ice-reading and shot calling. Most players are nowhere near the skill level where that would be more than of academic interest. For most teams, getting five or six rocks somewhere in the house will win most of the time.
Having a widely recognised name may help spur interest in what you have to say, but the trick is knowing what needs to be said if lasting improvement and change is to be made. There are lots of potential mentors, but first let's concentrate on getting more clubs to accommodate wheelchairs, and then let's improve technique so that our stones' destination becomes less of a guess.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Using the comments on this blog
One of the reasons that I mirror the content of the wheelchaircurling.com website on this blog is to provide a forum for others to comment. I enjoy reading the comments so keep them coming. Occasionally I will add a comment of my own if I feel I have something constructive to say.
If I haven't replied to an anonymous comment it's either because I don't feel strongly enough about the issue to express an opinion, or because I prefer to know who I am talking to before I reply. So if you have a specific question that you would like me to answer, the best way to do that is to email me at eric@wheelchaircurling.com.
If I haven't replied to an anonymous comment it's either because I don't feel strongly enough about the issue to express an opinion, or because I prefer to know who I am talking to before I reply. So if you have a specific question that you would like me to answer, the best way to do that is to email me at eric@wheelchaircurling.com.
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