A few months ago, a group of friends at Henry Wise Wood High School heard there was an opportunity to form a curling team. For the first time in over two decades, high schools in Calgary could compete for a city championship.
“I’ve never curled before and I’ve never watched it, either,” said Maia Smith, a Grade 10 student at Henry Wise Wood. “I heard about it and me and my friends really wanted to be on a sports team, so we thought this would be fun.”
On Thursday at the Calgary Winter Club, Smith and her teammates certainly did have fun, as they won the city title.
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“We didn’t really know what to expect because we’re a beginner team, except for Juliana.
“It was really nerve-racking and we’re all really happy we won.”
Juliana Josefchak was the only member of the team that had curled before this year.
“It’s been a lot of fun. These are really great girls and they’re a lot of fun to be with. They keep it entertaining.”
Twenty-four teams from eight schools competed in the city championships and organizers hope that number doubles next year.
“The energy is good,” said event organizer Lance Humeniuk. “It’s been months of preparation and practice, but every week the kids are getting better. I think the one thing that sticks with us is there’s a smile on their face after every match. They’re feeling the love of the sport.”
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Parents are also happy their kids have another athletic option at school.
“It’s a great sport to learn when they’re in high school, because it’s something you can do for a lot of years in fun-spiels and stuff. I didn’t realize it had been 20 years.”
The journey isn’t over yet for this “rocking” team. They’re off to Edmonton next week to compete for a provincial title.
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