Take nearly 400 grade three students from seven different schools – mix them up on 22 floor-curling ‘sheets’ – add the required floor-curling ‘rocks’: it’s the recipe for noise, excitement, meeting new kids from different schools and backgrounds, and a first introduction to the lifetime sport of curling.
CurlManitoba hosted those 400 school children at the Sport for Life Centre’s gymnasium on October 24 in their fourth annual Rocks & Rings Tournament.
Supported by Rock Solid Productions (the Rocks & Rings people) and Egg Farmers of Canada, the Manitoba event was once again believed to be the largest such event in the world!
Catherine Klassen of Oakdale Farms, Landmark, Manitoba represented the Egg Farmers of Canada at the event in her capacity as Vice Chair of Manitoba Egg Farmers. Although she comes from a curling family, she does not curl herself and this was her first exposure to the floor curling concept, which has introduced the sport to over a million Canadian children in recent years.
“Oh my gosh, if only I had half the energy,” she said with a huge smile.
She suggested it was a great way to introduce curling to a broad new audience.
“I think the more we can expose young people to different ideas, different sports, it might just catch on with them – they might love it,” she said.
The same logic applies to the sponsorship by the Egg Farmers – an exposure to eggs. More importantly, an introduction to a farmer.
“Many city kids have never been exposed to farming or met a farmer. I love talking with people who aren’t exposed to farming on a regular basis,” she said.
The schools involved in the tournament’s morning session were Highbury School, Tyndall Park School, and École Provencher. With 186 points scored over an hour of short games, with multiple switches to play new teams, the kids from École Provencher were the champions.
In the afternoon, Pacific Junction School, École Bonaventure and Oakbank Elementary School joined the fun. With 223 points scored over their hour of games, the Pacific Junction School students took home the first place ribbons.
