Life: On the Rocks

I can not begin to count the number of times I have said that I'm going to quit curling. "Curling is stupid and I'm quitting." I've said it after losses that should have been wins, after tough emotional losses, when I have to sacrifice time with friends and family, and sometimes just when I'm tired. Of course, I never really mean it, but there have been a handful of times when I have seriously considered retiring my broom for good.  The first time I even suggested the idea of quitting curling happened when I was in little rocks. Similar to the time when I announced my dislike for gymnastics, I waited until I got home with my parents after the last game of the season and casually said, "I don't think I want to curl next year". My dad just looked at me as if I had told him that I didn't think the Earth was round. When September came around that year I found myself back on the ice.  The second time I wanted to quit the sport I love happen...

I competed in my first Provincial Championship when I was 15 years old. I had received a phone call from Jaimee Gardner early in the 2002/2003 season where she asked if I would be interested in playing second for her. She already had commitments from Katie Morrissey to play vice and Karen Sagle to play lead and they thought I would be a good fit to fill out the squad. I quickly accepted her offer, even though I had never played second before. I knew that the opportunity was too good to turn down over something as silly as inexperience at a front end position. Coached by the late Michael Moore, our team qualified through our zone and regional playdowns for the 2003 Bantam (now called U18) Provincials at our home club, Carleton Heights Curling Club in Ottawa, Ontario. Mike was the first coach I ever played for who was not a parent of anyone on the team, but he treated all of us as if we were his own kids. He would pick me up at my house and drive me to practice, taking a genuine intere...