Juniors
The St. Vital Curling Club (SVCC) Junior Program is considered to be one of the
finest programs available to young curlers in the Winnipeg area. Founded on
the principles of fun and fundamentals, coupled with a strong belief in parent’s
approval and participation, the SVCC Junior Program has provided junior curlers
with an atmosphere of excellence and appreciation for several decades.
The goal of the program is to provide a fun and safe environment in which to develop
sound fundamental curling skills, appreciate curling etiquette, and to develop new
friendships.
In providing for this, the SVCC Junior Program also caters to young curlers who wish
to develop their skills and focus on more competitive junior play, with many of the
teams in the program participating in the Manitoba junior bonspiel circuit.
St Vital Juniors Website
We currently have 3 different leagues available for the young curlers.
Saturday 3 PM Program
For Beginners and Novices aged 5-12
This league runs 20 weeks from mid October until the end of March. This program focuses on skill development and teaching the game by utilizing repetitive drills and other games and lessons so the young curlers can acquire a good grasp of the ice markings, curling terms, balance, basic skills as well as learn the etiquette of the game. We work in an increasing amount of scrimmage play starting in week 2 for the Saturday kids, and after the first 6 weeks the players begin scheduled games.
- We use full sized rocks and play either half, ¾ sheet or full sheet curling depending on the size, age and ability of the curlers. We use ghost rings drawn on the ice for the shorter playing surfaces and have temporary hacks for the ¾ sheet play. We do this to promote proper delivery mechanics and to avoid the younger athletes desire to push the regulation sized curling rocks, as when little curlers have to push the rock, it destroys the proper mechanics that we are trying to teach, so we try to find a sheet length that suits them best.
- We have a team of Junior Coordinators who help provide on-ice instruction on Saturday. As there are a lot of kids on the ice, we need a lot of people involved to ensure quality instruction. We have a number of certified coaches plus our team of experienced on-ice parents who come out to enjoy time with their kids and help to reinforce what we are trying to accomplish. Typically there are 2 or 3 coaches/parents per sheet on the ice with the kids.
- We take attendance weekly, as we want to encourage timeliness, as well as know who is not there and why. We hand out name badges every week so we can try to learn the names of all the kids.
- As a reward for timeliness we will once again feature the world famous “Early Bird” draw. Every kid who arrives and checks in at least 10 minutes early are eligible for the weekly draw for a great prize. If the curler can manage to be on time the entire season they are then eligible for the “SUPER MEGA CASH PRIZE DRAWS” which will be drawn at the windup banquet!!!!
- We wrap up the pre-season with a SKINS GAME where the kids learn and play a four-end skins format and battle for cash prizes.
- After Pre-Season (first 4 weeks) we divide into “A”, “B” and “C” groups and play three 4 game round robins. The last round is the prize round.
- The final week before Christmas we have our annual HOTSHOTS competition for fun and big prizes and follow it up with a Christmas party with a free lunch and even more fantastic prizes and giveaways. The kids get to test their skills in a contest format made famous by the Scotties and Brier, plus a few contests of our own!!
- At the end of the year we have a windup with free food, lots of door prizes, and trophies for all the winners.
Sunday 3 PM-5 PM Program
For Curlers aged 10-14.
This program is designed for both novice and experienced junior curlers, and runs similar in format to the Saturday 3 PM to 5 PM program, with the exception that the full length of the ice sheet is used. In addition, the kids play under the 4 rock free guard zone rule in their game play.
Curlers work on drills and skill development during the first 5 weeks. Typically the players pick their own teams and play different positions within the first 5 weeks of play. Program coordinators will assist individual players in finding a team to play with. Curlers also play a Skins game for cash prizes the week before Christmas. Curlers do not play for prizes and trophies, but for COLD HARD CASH!. The prizes will be based on a team’s performance during the year plus on how well they fare during the playoff round.
Sunday 5:10-7:20 PM Program
For Curlers aged 11-21 yrs old.
This league is run just like a normal adult league. Team entries are preferred but individual entries will also be accepted.
- The program runs with an “”A”, “B” and “C” groups and play 3 round robins with the last round being the group prize round.
- As an added bonus, each team is automatically entered into our FREE pre-season Cash Spiel which runs the first weekend of the season. Each team is guaranteed at least 3 games and gets a chance to compete for the FREE CASH. It’s a great pre-season warm up and a good time!
- Another feature of this league is “ON ICE TIMEOUTS”. This rule is to help ensure continued learning and strategy growth. Each team will be allowed a maximum of two - two minute timeouts per game, where an adult/coach can come help you with any required strategy decisions. EITHER the players OR the coach can call the time out.
- The SVCC provides a supervisor every week to ensure everyone is observing appropriate behaviour and to give strategy assistance as required.
- We have a windup after the season with great food and BIG CASH prizes for the winners.
