Curling Camp: Prague

In the last week of August, Owen, James, and Stephen attended the World Curling Federation Adult Camp in Prague, Czech Republic.  We all had a fantastic time and learned an awful lot that we can’t wait to put into practice this season.

The less said about the flight, the better…but once we arrived in Prague we were greeted by beautiful sunshine and a fantastic setup, with the hotel and curling rink a brief 10 minute walk apart.  We were on the ice approximately 6 hours a day, with the rest of the time spent in the classroom or socializing with other curlers.

The three of us were placed in the same “Blue” group, but along with the “Red” and “Yellow” groups there were 37 attendees from 12 different countries.  We got to know some of them very well, including the Belgians, a pair of Scots, and even a team all the way from Hong Kong.

Everyone was playing at a good level, and there were a lot of intense discussions off the ice about strategy, equipment, team work, and how to help promote the sport of curling in our own countries.  Some of the others won new brooms, and despite making some very good shots and playing well under pressure, we came home with just a nice camp t-shirt!

It was an incredible experience, and we all felt very privelaged to have been able to attend the camp.  The coaches and top athletes were incredibly helpful, insightful, and passionate to help others develop their game.

Aside from the curling, there was time to explore the city and enjoy all the spoils that Prague had to offer.  We were only a 15 minute metro ride away from the city center, and on the Wednesday evening we all enjoyed a cruise down the river together.  This was a great opportunity to enjoy a meal together and celebrate the progress we had made in such a small space of just 5 days.

Despite being a bit sore, we are all looking forward to the domestic season starting up again in October.