FUNdamentals: Rock and Rings

Learn to Train: Rock and Rings

Curling is one of the oldest sports in Canada, and one of the sports our country is known for. We have a long history of competitive achievement as well as recreational involvement in the game. Curling has been a leader in attracting and retaining recreational sport participants. Now is an exciting time to be involved in the sport, as we are experiencing a surge in demand for both high performance training opportunities and entry-level skill development programs.

Along with teamwork, curling teaches participants fundamental movement skills, fundamental sport skills and the ABCs – agility, balance, coordination and speed – of physical literacy.

Curling’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model consists of seven stages.

  • Active Start (M, F 0-6) – Encourages children to explore fundamental movement skills as a daily routine in fun environments.
  • FUNdamentals (M 6-9, F 6-8) – Teaches overall movement skills with an emphasis on FUN.
  • Learn to Train (M 9-12, F 8-11) – Focuses on overall sport skill development and integrates mental, cognitive and emotional development.
  • Train to Train (M 12-16, F 11-15) – Develops specific sport-specific skills and begins addressing proper fitness and training.
  • Train to Compete (M 16-23+/-, F 15-21+/-) – Begins specialization through sport, event and position-specific physical conditioning.
  • Train to Win (M, 19+/-, F 18+/-) – Maximizes technical, tactical and playing skills and engages in the highest levels of competition.
  • Active for Life (M, F any age) – Encourages individuals to remain active through curling, whether competitively or recreationally, for life.

Curling for Life
This model identifies the optimal training, competition and recovery principles and practices for our athletes through sequential stages from childhood through to adulthood, recognizing both the elite competitive and lifetime recreational streams.

Tim Horton’s Little Rocks include the FUNdamentals and Learn to Train stages, and is designed to introduce the Olympic sport of curling to elementary school children aged six to 12.

Getting Started in Curling focuses on the Train to Train stage and helps the teacher guide students aged 12 to 15 through various activities that take place in the classroom, the gymnasium and, finally, the curling rink.

High School Curling Academy centers on the Train to Compete stage and helps bring the sport of curling into mainstream education for youth aged 15 to 17.

La Releve focuses on the Train to Win stage. It identifies individual elite athletes under the age of 32 and provides high performance support and services.

The National Team Program’s aim is the Train to Win stage. It identifies our top six men’s and top six women’s teams nationally and provides high performance support and services.

Getting Started for Adults is a comprehensive curling club program that focuses on Active for Life and builds membership through superior customer service.

Rocks & Rings is a program developed for schools to help promote awareness and an enjoyable experience for new curlers.

Canadian Curling Association – curling.ca