Learn to Curl.
Bathurst Heights Secondary School student Villan Knight falls over while throwing the rock at the Toronto District School Board's Safety and Caring Schools Business of Sport program Wednesday at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling club.
Staff photo/DAN PEARCE
Their classroom was freezing cold, with a fine layer of ice coating most of the floor. That's just how they liked it.
On Wednesday, Feb. 24, the six students enrolled in the Safe and Caring Schools Business of Sport program spent the day at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club to try their hand at curling for the first time. None of the students who are classified by their teacher as experiencing, "conduct challenges" had ever curled before, but they quickly warmed up to the icy sport.
"When you start off it's kind of complicated, but the movement and everything is so cool. It's complicated and hard to explain, but it's unique," said Villan Knight, an 18-year-old participant. "Do you hear my voice? I'm obviously very happy and excited to be here."
Knight and the five other high school students in this program had trouble progressing through other schools, but always excelled at physical education. In the Business of Sport program which operates out of Bathurst Heights Secondary School, they take academic classes in the morning and spend the afternoons in a variety of phys-ed programs.
The goal is to open their eyes to the career paths available in the sporting industry, aside from aspiring to be a basketball player.
"Our goal is to move towards introducing them to sports in ways they might not have thought of before," said Mike Milligan, who teaches at the school. "In the program there are social aspects, experiences of new sports and they also get to go to places they have never been. Most of these kids are marginalized, at-risk youth that don't have money and might not even know this place exists."
They regularly go on a field trip every week to keep things exciting.
Wednesday's trip to the curling rink was made possible by the Capitol One Rocks and Rings program, which offers curling training sessions to schools across the Greater Toronto Area.
Almost every other day of the school year, Rocks and Rings takes specialized curling equipment into school gyms, but this day was unique. It was arranged for Milligan and his students by Chad McMullan, founder of Rinks and Rings and former executive director of the world curling tour.
"The goal of the program is to change things up and reach more kids. Curling in Canada is sort of stagnating a bit, with the same people playing and their kids," said McMullan. "Combined with that, especially in a city, like Toronto, with so many cultures, a lot of people come from places that don't even have ice. Trying curling isn't something that even occurs to them."
While giving a two-hour practical lesson on the rules and techniques involved in the game, McMullan is able to mix in a little bit of science and geography as well. Explaining the history of the game around the world is part of the fun and learning how sweeping heats the ice to speed up the rocks adds a touch of chemistry to the mix.
It can be risky business introducing student with behavioural issues to new environments, but Milligan feels everyone had a great time.
"I relish days like this where it was a big risk, but it worked out and it was well worth it," said Milligan.
The boys are back to business as usual and are scheduled to wrap their heads around the game of squash next week.