Join the Fort St. John Curling Club for an exciting season

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort St. John Curling Club has extended its call for members to join for its upcoming season.

According to a Facebook post, registration for men’s, women’s, mixed, and junior leagues will begin in September at the club located at 9504 96th Avenue.

Curling Club general manager Deanna Coates says the junior presence will be in two different leagues: one for children aged eight to 12 and the other for youth aged 13 to 18.

“We’ll start with showing them how to properly throw the rocks,” says Coates. “We’ll get them to the level where they can start competing in games.”

One instructor teaching newcomers the fundamentals will be Deanna’s daughter, Brady Coates, the club’s ice manager.

Brady says shot selection, strategy, and sweeping will all be a part of showcasing the sport to the youngsters.

“We want to teach proper body position [when sweeping],” said Brady.  “To get the best performance out of your body when sweeping down the ice.”

The younger Coates adds that the adult league had 13 teams each last season and anticipates that number may grow to 16.

The mixed league features both men and women. However, it stipulates that every team must feature a female player, or a junior may skip or play as a third on a team, known in curling as a “rink.”

Registration for the season will occur on September 7th in the Totem Mall, located at 9600 93rd Avenue, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.  

Those who register can try out curling for free at the club later in the day. 

The junior program will begin at the club on September 10th for younger players and September 12th for older youth. 

Women’s, Men’s, and Mixed Leagues will start September 24th, 25th and 26th, respectively.

Further information regarding Fort St. John’s Curling Club can be found on their Facebook page and website.