Youth Curling

The mission of the Belfast Curling Club Youth Curling Program is to introduce young people to curling as a fun, recreational sport, to engage students in skill development, and to provide a venue for organized games and competitive play. As curling is a game of etiquette, we encourage and promote good sportsmanship both on and off the ice. Our goal is to ignite a spark of passion for curling, build self-confidence, foster teamwork abilities, and promote friendship with other youth curlers.

Curling is a sport in which size, gender, strength, and speed are of no particular advantage. The helpful skills are balance, mental focus, and “touch”. In general, girls compete on an equal footing with boys.  Curling is also a very civilized game with a strong tradition of etiquette, consideration, and courtesy towards your opponents. Curling is a great way to meet people and make friends, while learning a sport you can play for a lifetime.

Curling is an inclusive sport that ANYONE can excel at, and we're super excited to be offering young people the chance to learn new skills, build confidence, and develop leadership and teamwork abilities through participation in this fantastic and fast-growing sport. Curling is a game built on a tradition of sportsmanship and sociability, where no one sits out, every team member is essential, and every game begins and ends with a hearty handshake.

See more about curling here. 

A Youth Learn-to-Curl is a 2-hour program designed to introduce kids ages 9-18 to the sport of curling. We provide a fun, safe atmosphere where kids and teens can experience curling in a friendly environment, grouped by age and ability.

In our supportive and non-competitive focused program, youth will be given an introduction to curling and ice safety, an explanation of the equipment and how the game is played and how points are scored.  They will learn how to use a broom to sweep and learn basic curling stance, throwing and aiming.  We will work with them on how to throw basic shots and how to play the game in a team format. They will have fun with our age-appropriate drills and mini games at the end of each session. 

This fall we are hosting 4 sessions. You can sign up your child for any or all of them.

Sunday, November 20th, 12:30-2:30pm

Sunday, December 4th, 2:00-4:00pm

Sunday, December 11th, 12:30 – 2:30pm

Sunday, December 18th, time TBD, one of the above

We welcome curlers ages 9-18. Slightly younger curlers may participate with the approval of the Youth Curling Coordinator based on the curler’s maturity level and ability to use the stones. Younger kids will use lighter stones and play on a child appropriate distance on the ice.

Instructors/coaches are volunteer club members. Instructor to curler ratio is 1:4. All of our instructors are SafeSport certified. 

Each session is $10. Please get in touch with us if this is a barrier to participation. Pre-pay is required so we can coordinate the right number of instructors to participant ratio. Please use the indicated Venmo account listed in the registration form. A parent or guardian is required to sign a liability release waiver for their minor prior to attendance.

Registration is online through this form.  Registration will close 1 week prior to each session.

We provide all the equipment except for helmets. Kids will need a clean pair of sneakers to change into after arriving at the club in order to keep our ice clean. Please wear layered warm comfortable clothing. Curlers under the age of 12 must wear a properly fitted bike or ski helmet. Parents/Guardians are required to sign a liability release form prior to the session.

"Broomstacking" is the tradition that players stack their brooms after each game and get to know each other.  We will provide weekly snacks and water to encourage this as we sit around the table in the warm room and chat after the session, however, it is not required.

Parents are welcome to stay in the warm room. Parents are not required to stay in the club but must provide 2 phone numbers where they can be contacted in an emergency.

While the club does have locker rooms, we will not be utilizing them. Please have your child arrive in clothing ready to be on the ice with clean shoes in a bag. A single large restroom is available in the warm room.