Bob Sopoci calls for his sweepers to let the rock curl a little bit more before they sweep it into the house. Sopoci is helping to teach about a dozen men from ages 65 to 85 to curl. The group gets together on Wednesday afternoons and after three practices most already have a good feel for the game. Because they mostly live in the West End, the fellows appreciate curling in the daylight to avoid driving home in the dark.
The Cook County Curling Club will be starting the second half of its season on January 9. Open Leagues will be played on Monday and Tuesday evenings starting at 6 p.m. This is a time change from the first half.
On Wednesdays from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., community members have the opportunity to take part in Pick-League play. If you are at all interested in curling, this is a good time to give it a try. There are members who are always ready to help teach. Of course the public is more than welcome to come watch on league nights too.
There will be an afternoon enrichment program for students in grades 6 – 12 after school starting on January 19 for an hour starting at 3:30 p.m. at the Cook County Community Center and it will be on Thursday afternoons for four weeks. Joanne Smith and Bill Parish will be the instructors.
This is a great opportunity for a student to learn the fundamentals of a lifetime sport. Enrollment for this program is through Community Education. Call (218) 387-2000 to sign up.
Like a lot of the older curlers, Jim King uses a push-pole to throw his rock down the ice. Although it takes a little getting used to, King and others who use this method have great success curling, and their knees don’t get beaten up in the process.
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