PORT McNEILL—Late last season, a small group of parents began discussing the possibility of forming a junior curling program at Broughton Curling Club.
This fall a rather larger group of youngsters responded to the call.
Exceeding the expectations of organizers, more than 30 youth in Grades 1-12 have turned out to take part in on- and off-ice sessions at the Port McNeill club.
Headed up by club executive Nick Russell, the program picked up steam quickly after registration was opened in late September.
From nine Juniors (Grades 6-12) and six Kids (Grades 1-5) in the opening week of sign-up, the ranks had swelled to 18 Juniors and 14 Kids as of last week’s practice sessions at the club.
“Every night when the girls get home, even if they’re so tired they can hardly stay awake, they always say, ‘That was so fun,’” said Jennie-Lynn Noel, whose daughters Chloe and Chelsea each participate in the program.
So popular was the prospect of curling for the youngsters that they were in the club well before the ice was, learning the rules and protocol of curling, safety at the rink and details about the program, as well as fun games to keep things light.
Parent instructors volunteer their time to lead the practices.
The BCC Juniors meet every Wednesday from 5:45-6:45 p.m., immediately preceding that evening’s regular league play.
BCC Kids have sessions every other Thursday, beginning at 6 p.m.
To inquire about registering, visit Broughton Curling Club on Facebook or call Russell at 250-956-2736.