We did our Upclose and Personal interview yesterday at the Heart Stop Lounge. Megan and Sharon did a great job answering questions and it made me realize how intrigued curling fans are about the curling and how things work at the high performance level of this sport. Here are some interesting facts that people might like!
1. Yes, we all work day jobs! There are a few curlers who with Sport Canada funding are able to take some time off from their careers to focus on curling but almost all of us have day jobs and very supportive employers who are flexible with the time off that is required.
2. We do a lot between games and during our off time. No one really sleeps between games anymore and we refer to this time as active rest. We make sure we eat when we need to and then spend time checking out the city, shopping, or other activities (manicures, fabric shopping, visiting friends/family, etc). We do not just go back to our hotels rooms and sleep. And Yes, we watch a lot fo TSN curling also, when we are not on the ice.
3. There is no advertising allowed on the bench or ice surface (except the approved signage). That is why we all have the same water bottles. Anything we drink (G2, water, etc) needs to be put in these bottles before we get to the arena. It is also why we all wear the same jackets and carry the same duffle bags. The CCA supplies these to us so that there is no advertising during the event on players. Logos are also limited on our equipment so at times you may see duct tape covering things.
4. There are 2 change rooms at the arena. One for yellow rocks and one for red rocks. This means we never change in the same room as the opposition. So there are 4 teams in each change rooms and they are jsut the regular hockey locker rooms you see in any arean (urinals and all!!!). It is funny but you end up sort of being in the change rooms with the same teams each games, just the way a round robin works out.
5. Every team has a schedule. This means each and every moment of the day is planned. We know when to eat, what to eat, when to leave the hotel, when to wake up, etc. It is all scheduled. The Scotties is an event that takes a ton of planning and stamina and the schedules ensures that you are not tired out mid-week and or rushed with your preparations.
6. Who rooms together? Each teams gets 4 rooms and we indicate ahead of time who is staying with who. Most teams will give a room to each of the coach and fifth player and then 2 players will room in each of the other two rooms. All of these costs are covered by the CCA.
It definately feels at time like you are in another world during the Scotties but at the same time it also feels like home. There are no longer any surprises and things are planned out so much to make each player feel comfortable throughout the week. Plus the volunteers and hosts are so great to us that anything you need is only one request away. And after your first Scotties, everything of the week becomes so normal and natural to us but still interesting to fans of curling! Keep cheering!!!
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