Coaches Corner

Coaching curling can be viewed from high above when you think about the overriding principles of coaching teams. The following three things are essential for coaching curling:

1. Train your athletes to throw and sweep properly.

2. Assist the team in defining "Team Systems".

3. Schedule repetition to engrain the proper skills (practice, events and local games).

Most of your coaching training will revolve around these three things.  This section provides an overview of coaching.  The details and mechanics of coaching are covered in the Team Development and Performance and the Olympic Development programs.

Here are some of the things you will be doing as a curling coach:

• Team formation.

• Off-season and pre-season planning.

• Pre-event and pre-game planning. 

• Advising during a game (timeouts and between ends).

• Assessing post-game.

• Game statistics.

• Performance analysis and trends.

• Scouting.

Very few coaches of any sport at any level, know everything.  However, the good coaches know when to bring in an expert. For example, a Sports Psychologist, Team Logistics Manager, Training and fitness professional, etc.

Most athletes will agree that working with a coach is necessary to perform at a high level.  The extra set of eyes of a non-playing person adds a level of neutrality to working through team development issues.

As stated above, curling is a passive coaching sport.  The rules specifically state that a coach will not have any interaction with the team except at certain predetermined times.  Unlike other “active" coaching sports like football, baseball, etc., curling coaches cannot call shots, freely replace players during a game or manage the clock.  This requires the coach to help plan properly before the game because the only interaction with the team will be during time-outs, the fifth-end break.  During a substitution, the coach can send information to the team via the new player.  Even though the rules allow for personnel substitutions, teams have not used it widely.

Get Certified

Certifying local curlers in the area of curling-specific coaching helps provide local club members with the tools necessary to develop curlers and teams at all levels.  The coaching certification program, is based on the CurlTech Team Development and Performance program.  Contact CurlTech for more information.

Coaching Certification Requirements:

• Read the appropriate sections of the CurlTech web site.

• Attend a coaching certification class.

• Be a certified CurlTech Instructor (can be done at the same time).

• Become SafeSport certified.

• Take the required coaching non-sport specific courses as needed.

Always keep in mind that the best coach is the one that sincerely believes in coaching your team to success.  Remember, it is not about the coach, it’s about the team.

Since there is very little information about coaching curling specifically, read as many books as you can on coaching in general.  There is a lot of information about coaching sport.  You will come across lots of information about skill training so you as curling coach must apply the curling skill training in your program.  You should be familiar with:

• Performance analysis tools

• Game tracking software

• Game video

• Video skills analysis

• Breakdown analysis

Coaching Shift

The passive coaching policy is shifting a bit since the COVID plagued events of 2020 and 2021.  Coaches are generally permitted on the ice during championship events and casual contact between ends was permitted.  The challenge for curling coaches is to help prepare teams for performance without being directly involved in games.  This “Wooden’ type approach places the performance responsibility in the players hands.  Unlike baseball, where the coaches can call every pitch, or football, where the coaches can call every play, curling relies heavily on player preparation between competitions. The role of a curling coach is to help the team prepare for competition, then watch them compete.

A good curling coach must first have a good understanding of the key factors to a team’s performance.  Thoroughly review the Team Performance reference material.  Players on adult teams must be responsible for their development and not shift responsibility to the coach.  Logistics are handled by all team members or a designated person.  Junior teams, however, need a more active coach and at least two active parents to cover logistics issues.

The most important role of a curling coach is to help the team create a comprehensive plan for success.  In a comprehensive team performance program, the following represent the key factors to performance:

• Proper delivery and sweeping mechanics.

• Team systems.

• Game strategy and tactics.

• Player strength, fitness and nutrition.

• Mental toughness.

The coach’s role in a comprehensive program is still passive. The following represent the key factors in passive coaching.

• Assisting in team formation.

• Delivery and sweeping skill training with feedback.

• Assisting in definition of team systems (including rolls and responsibilities).

• Analyzing team performance.

• Assisting in season planning and scheduling.

• Assist in sports psychology (mental toughness) training.

• Assist in strength and conditioning programs.

• Assist in strategy and tactics development by playing Skip's Call.

• Team statistics.

• Complete knowledge of rules and procedures.

• Team assisted goal setting.

• Team assisted scheduling, events, practice, etc.

• Team assisted event management.

• Team assisted logistics.

• Game breakdown analysis.

Active coaching is limited but can be very important to the success of a team. The following represent active coaching tasks:

• Assist in pre-event practices.

• Assist in pregame strategy.

• Assist in pregame practice.

• Assist in midgame tactics and/or course corrections (timeouts and mid game breaks).

Manufacturing a Team

It is possible to manufacture performance with the following requirements:

• Team formation is based on specific roles.

• The team uses the CurlTech System of Pay.

• Four players train together on a regular basis with a qualified coach.

Coaching Junior age curlers may have some additional challenges and opportunities. The maturity level changes quite a bit from age 13 to age 21. A successful junior coach needs to identify the maturity level, accept it and manage it properly. Just like skill differences, a junior team may have different levels of maturity within the team itself so it may be necessary to have different coaching styles for each player.  

In this age group, it is not uncommon to have emotional highs and lows different than adults.  Excitement levels can also vary.  On ice energy is a key factor with all teams. Managing negative and positive energy on the ice requires extra time during team discussions.

Good coaches will do the following:

• Help create the team or agree to coach an existing team.

• Help draft the team’s short and long-term goals.

• Agree on a fitness plan.

• Agree on your practice and event schedule.

• Help define your team systems.

• Train your team (with constant feedback) to execute the systems.

Preparing properly for a national event can make life easy once the event starts. Below is a list of coaching activities leading up to teh event.

Pre-Event

• Review the WCF rules and the National event procedures.

• Review each player’s specific role and responsibility with them.

• Assist in the travel logistics.

• Recon – Find out as much as you can about your opponents.

• Agree on the daily schedule, wake up and lights-out times.

• Agree on the 5th player rotation if applicable.

• Agree on daily practices.

• Track and determine the LSD choices per game.

At the Event

• Assist with the travel arrival logistics.

• Schedule a pre-event meeting to review the schedule, logistics and team systems.

• Assist with the pre-event practice.  Match rocks as needed.

• Attend the mandatory team meeting with a copy of the latest rules and procedures.

Pre-Game, Each Game

• Secure coaches seating and AC power requirements.

• Take part in the ten minute, pre-game team meeting – opponent info and game plan.

• Pre-game practice – Per team - Coach can split time rocks (5th player can do this – coach can take HTH times).

In Game, Each Game

• Pay attention.  Watch them execute the system.  Take notes on any systems breakdowns.

• Be ready for a time-out later in the game.

• Take stats (5th player can also do this).

• Execute a player switch if applicable and necessary.

Post-Game, Each Game

• Ten-minute team meeting to discuss RELEVANT information about the game. Praise good performance, learn from bad. Talk about learning opportunities and never about poor performance.  

• Discuss immediate (next two hours) schedule.

Post Round Robin

• Attend the post round robin meeting with the Chief Umpire.

• Think about rocks and rock color for the playoffs.