Sophia MacDonald, 15, left, and Arianna Atienza, 16, are part of the under-18 girl’s team with the Iqaluit Curling Club. Both athletes say they are confident in their team’s abilities as they practise for southern competition. (Photo by Daron Letts)
Teens practise with visiting Ottawa coach this weekend in advance of nationals in Saskatoon
Members of the two competitive under-18 squads at the Iqaluit Curling Club are preparing for their latest tournament by working with guest coaches, participating in daylong workshops and through regular practice.
The girl’s team, coached by Leigh Gustafson, and the boy’s team, coached by Jeremy Smith, will host Carleton University Ravens curling coach Tom Sinclair from Ottawa this weekend.
Sinclair will be in Iqaluit to test and certify three curling coaches for the Iqaluit club and will take time to work with the teen curlers, said Gustafson.
The athletes’ extra effort comes as they prepare for their first-ever appearance at Curling Canada’s Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships from Feb. 16 to Feb. 22 at Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon.
Iqaluit’s teen curlers, who all range in age from 13 to 17, were invited by the organizers to compete at the national tournament last year but declined because they didn’t have enough time to prepare, Gustafson said.
In 2024, both teams were hampered by a lack of access to the curling rink, which the City of Iqaluit rented out as a temporary film studio for the North of North comedy series filmed in Iqaluit.
This year is different, said Arianna Atienza of the under-18 girl’s team, adding the players have been working together for three years and have two Arctic Winter Games appearances under their belts.
“We decided as a team we should grow,” she said. “We’re definitely more ready than we possibly could have been last year.”
“We’ve had a lot more practice time on the ice this season,” added girl’s team member Sophia MacDonald, 15.
The boy’s team came together one year ago and gained experience at last year’s Arctic Winter Games in Alaska, said Gustafson.
Both the girl’s and boy’s teams headed to the Saskatoon tournament are composed of four players each.
Gustafson won’t accompany the girls to Saskatoon, but she has a good excuse: she will be competing as part of Team Nunavut at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the women’s national championship, from Feb. 14 to Feb. 23 in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Guest coach Gayle Salter-Kennedy from Ayr, Ont., will step in to coach the Iqaluit girls in Gustafson’s absence.
Sophia MacDonald, 15, left, and Arianna Atienza, 16, are part of the under-18 girl’s team with the Iqaluit Curling Club. Both athletes say they are confident in their team’s abilities as they practise for southern competition. (Photo by Daron Letts)
Teens practise with visiting Ottawa coach this weekend in advance of nationals in Saskatoon
Members of the two competitive under-18 squads at the Iqaluit Curling Club are preparing for their latest tournament by working with guest coaches, participating in daylong workshops and through regular practice.
The girl’s team, coached by Leigh Gustafson, and the boy’s team, coached by Jeremy Smith, will host Carleton University Ravens curling coach Tom Sinclair from Ottawa this weekend.
Sinclair will be in Iqaluit to test and certify three curling coaches for the Iqaluit club and will take time to work with the teen curlers, said Gustafson.
The athletes’ extra effort comes as they prepare for their first-ever appearance at Curling Canada’s Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships from Feb. 16 to Feb. 22 at Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon.
Iqaluit’s teen curlers, who all range in age from 13 to 17, were invited by the organizers to compete at the national tournament last year but declined because they didn’t have enough time to prepare, Gustafson said.
In 2024, both teams were hampered by a lack of access to the curling rink, which the City of Iqaluit rented out as a temporary film studio for the North of North comedy series filmed in Iqaluit.
This year is different, said Arianna Atienza of the under-18 girl’s team, adding the players have been working together for three years and have two Arctic Winter Games appearances under their belts.
“We decided as a team we should grow,” she said. “We’re definitely more ready than we possibly could have been last year.”
“We’ve had a lot more practice time on the ice this season,” added girl’s team member Sophia MacDonald, 15.
The boy’s team came together one year ago and gained experience at last year’s Arctic Winter Games in Alaska, said Gustafson.
Both the girl’s and boy’s teams headed to the Saskatoon tournament are composed of four players each.
Gustafson won’t accompany the girls to Saskatoon, but she has a good excuse: she will be competing as part of Team Nunavut at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the women’s national championship, from Feb. 14 to Feb. 23 in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Guest coach Gayle Salter-Kennedy from Ayr, Ont., will step in to coach the Iqaluit girls in Gustafson’s absence.