Program builds youth curling

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This article was published 08/01/2025 (253 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A lingering question that curling has faced the past few years is the future of the game.

The popularity of the game in older generations has never been in doubt in our province, but it’s no secret that many clubs have been dealing with declining youth participation.

Cory Barkley of Virden has been working with area clubs to combat that with the ManSask Sliding Stars program, a regional tour for youth curlers of various levels of experience.

Barkley was one of the original organizers with help from other area clubs.

“The original group was myself and Stephanie Brown from Minnedosa, Laura Low from Maryfield, Wes Gregory from Hamiota and Mona Hammond from Riverview in Brandon. I have to give them all credit because everybody all kind run their own junior program so that was the start of it,” said Barkley.

“We tried it here and there’s a bit of a novelty to it. The kids end up going to different clubs and enjoying it and it seemed to work. The numbers are good and so obviously it worked but that original group that stepped up to support it deserves all the credit.”

Born out of the COVID-cancelled season, when that led to a pause on all youth curling. Barkley said coming out of that there was no competitive youth curling, so he reached out to the aforementioned active junior clubs, they quickly got on board and it quickly grew from there.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, Barkley and the organizers borrowed the idea from the former inter-club Westman Super League, in which Barkley used to play.

“One thing with curling is that in order to get better you have to move around and play on different ice surfaces. You get that with this program. You play in different places and nothing is familiar. The feedback has been great in the three years we’ve run it. We award old school trophies at year-end and the kids seem to get a kick out of that,” said Barkley.

This year’s tour features 28 teams in 12 and under, 15 and under and 18 and under divisions. The U18 division plays doubleheaders once a month. Teams will play a couple games each day and end with a draw to the button competition that tallies points for each player.

While participants are enjoying and learning, the community rinks see the benefit from people through the door.

Last year’s season-ending bonspiel saw 200 people per day at the Virden Curling Club.

This year’s tour opened the season at the Brandon Curling Club back in October.

Since then the tour has made stops in Virden, Minnedosa, Souris, Melita, Shoal Lake, Maryfield, Gladstone, and this past weekend, in Miniota.

Having the regional format where kids can move around and play different kids outside their own club, while providing both a fun and competitive environment is working, as some have moved on to play at provincial competitions this year.

“It wasn’t the end goal, but it has worked out that some of the kids that aged out of the program have combined into teams and are maybe trying to reach the next level. That might have happened anyway… but we’ve had some from the program go on to compete at the U18 provincials,” said Barkley.

The program’s popularity is echoed by the participants.

“It’s a very good program and gets tons of people out to curl, which is a good sport, and we want it to continue and it gives people something fun to do on the weekend,” said Creed Wilson of Gladstone.

The Wilson rink is skipped by oldest brother, 14-year-old Bridge, and twins Creed and Briggs, aged 13.

The team competed on Saturday minus Connor Lucas, who Creed said was sick as he jokingly noted that he likely ate too much candy over the holidays.

Like most teams, they have fun at each other’s expense while also elevating their game.

“It’s nice to just have the chance to get younger people curling competitively like this. It’s gotten way bigger in the last couple years and seeing different rinks is cool. We’ve come a long way from Gladstone, two hours away, so it’s nice to see new parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan,” Creed added.

This year makes the first the group is curling as a team although they have played at their home club in Gladstone.

While they’re technically on the same team, sometimes sibling rivalry brings out each other’s best.

“It feels very good to make good shots but when you mess something up sometimes which just happens, somebody (nudging towards older brother) gets mad,” said Briggs.

The Wilson brothers are like most in the tour, simply learning the nuance of the game through continued competition and practice.

They don’t have specific goals in mind just yet, but hope to continue playing and eventually at higher levels.

“It would be nice to keep moving up the ranks, go into high school curling and maybe beyond and win some stuff too. To see these two (motioning towards his younger brothers) win would be great as well. To get to a provincial championship someday would be really cool,” said Bridge.

Brandon’s Jaxon Stanley agrees. The 12-year-old took a turn to play skip on Saturday as his team of Cruz Dueck, Reid Jackson and Luke Malazdrewicz out of the Riverview Curling Club picked up another win, resulting in a round of high fives and fist bumps.

Stanley says while winning is nice, that’s far from the reason they play.

“The best part is meeting new people and having fun with friends. We also get to travel around to different places, sometimes even go to Saskatchewan but not that often,” said Stanley.

“We have a group of five so sometimes we have to rotate, but we still have fun. It’s a good feeling when you make a couple shots.”

When asked if he’s ready to turn pro he replied “basically”.

“I think I could see myself keep getting better and playing in better leagues as I get older, I just need to keep practising and playing and just do what you gotta do to get there,” Stanley added.

For now, he and his team will keep playing in the tour while building towards the year-end bonspiel. If they win a trophy, great.

If not, they’ll look forward to playing again next year.

Financial support from sponsors Sunrise Credit Union and Virden Ford as well as the clubs often donating the ice rental means participants haven’t paid much to play either. There is just a modest team fee at the start of the year of $100.

The cost offset by sponsors means the only other costs associated to participants is travel.

Barkley’s day job as an insurance broker obviously doesn’t interfere with his organizing of the tour, as he says once plans are in place there’s not a whole lot more involved as the local clubs take care of ice and facilities each day.

He’s is quick to give credit back to the original organizing committee and coaches that volunteer to provide instruction to the U12 division.

As he says, the formula is simple: Put on a good program with good support and people want to participate.

“There’s been lots of people reach out. I can’t speak for them but I think the ones that are in it really enjoy it. It’s certainly not rocket science,” said Barkley.

“The kids seem to be having a good time and the rinks get a bit of support. I can remember doing these kinds of things when I was coming up and it still seems to stand true today,” said Barkley.

“I don’t know where curling’s going to go but the only way it can survive is to have a lot of people playing and enjoying it.

“It can continue to grow, and I hope it does.”

» mpackwood@brandonsun.com