Click for funeral announcement.

Photo (L-R): Marjorie Matthews, Danielle Girard, Marie MacDonald, Carol Sweetapple

Laura Crocker and her team will have a new look for the 2013-14 curling season.

The Edmonton-based team is pleased to announce that Erin Carmody will be added to the lineup, joining Crocker, Rebecca Pattison, and Jennifer Gates.

Sport PEI photo: Erin Carmody

She will be replacing Sarah Wilkes, who has decided to reduce her curling schedule and was unable to commit to playing a full World Curling Tour schedule, as well as the Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials, presented by Monsanto, in November in Kitchener, Ont.

Wilkes, however, will be with the team throwing third rocks when it competes as Team Canada at the Winter Universiade, Dec. 11 to 21 in Trentino, Italy.

“It’s really the best of both worlds,” said Crocker on behalf of the team. “We totally understand Sarah’s decision, but we’re extremely glad that we’ll be able to keep the team together to compete in Italy. And we couldn’t be happier to find a replacement of Erin’s calibre. She is a proven top-level player and we expect her to fit right into the lineup as we attempt to win the right to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.”

Carmody threw skip rocks for the silver-medal-winning Prince Edward Island team at the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and moved to Calgary in 2011 and spent the past two seasons playing third for Crystal Webster.

“I’m thrilled to be able to join one of the top young teams in the country,” said Carmody. “It’s a wonderful opportunity and I can’t wait for the new season to get underway.”

Laura Crocker announced on Friday that Sarah Wilkes, the third on her talented young women’s rink, has decided to reduce her curling commitment for academic reasons and will be replaced by Erin Carmody.

Carmody, 24, recently became available when Crystal Webster’s Calgary rink added veteran Cathy Overton-Clapham, a five-time Canadian women’s champion out of Winnipeg, at third.

Both teams have berths in the Capital One Road to the Roar pre-trials Nov. 5-10 at Kitchener, Ont. Two teams will advance from that event to the Olympic trials in Winnipeg from Dec. 1-8.

“We couldn’t be happier to find a replacement of Erin’s calibre. She is a proven top-level player and we expect her to fit right into the lineup as we attempt to win the right to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.”

Carmody, who threw skip rocks for the Prince Edward Island team that lost the 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts final, moved to Calgary in 2011 and spent the past two seasons playing third for Webster.

Mark Johnson, who coaches the Webster team, said that Carmody “is a great player and has a bright future. I can say that I have never played with or coached a more dedicated player than Erin. I will miss coaching her.”

Carmody has applied to the U of A to continue her education.

Click for full story in the Edmonton Journal

Overton-Clapham will replace former Webster third Erin Carmody on the squad. Carmody, a former PEI women’s champion, has left the team.

Photo: Cathy Overton-Clapham is planning a short-term move to Calgary to practice with her new team. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

Overton-Clapham told the Free Press Wednesday afternoon that Webster contacted her with the opening about two weeks ago and she had to think hard about whether to accept it or not.

“I took a few days to think about it, for sure,” said Overton-Clapham, a five-time Canadian women’s champion from Winnipeg. “But I looked at it as a really good opportunity. I’m going to get a chance to play again at a position I really love and have a passion for. And they also have a Pre-Trials spot and that’s also intriguing.”

A Pre-Trials competition next November will determine the final two women’s and men’s teams in next December’s Canadian Curling Trials at MTS Centre, where Canada’s men’s and women’s curling representatives for Sochi will be determined.

Click for full story in the Winnipeg Free Press.

“It puts us as one of the top teams again instantly,” Martin said from Edmonton on Wednesday after the pair made their announcement.

“This is an exciting time for team Martin.”

Nedohin (2nd left) with the “Ferbey Four” in 2010 (Photo credit: Russell Ott-found on Wikipedia)

Nedohin replaces John Morris, who surprised many when he departed the Martin foursome late last month after seven years. Morris then announced he was joining B.C. skip Jim Cotter’s team.

“Obviously in this situation, once the change in our team was inevitable, Dave was obviously our first choice for so many reasons,” said Martin.

His shot-making ability was at the top of the list. Nedohin joined Ferbey in 1997 and throwing final rocks helped win four Briers and three world championships.

Click for full Canadian Press story at TSN.ca.

Leave it to the off season to create some of the biggest headlines of the curling year.

Last week, John Morris walked away from Team Kevin Martin, even though they have a free pass to the Winnipeg Olympic trials in hand. Shocker? Not so much, but for the timing.

The aforementioned Morris has joined Kelowna/Vernon’s Jimmy Cotter for the Olympic run. Cotter was quick to hit social media explaining the deal:

“Just wanting to update everyone and let you know that John Morris has joined our curling team. He approached us with a five-man team option, not with the intent to replace anyone on the team. Not every day an opportunity of this magnitude presents itself, ALL of us agreed it’s a great opportunity. No one is out, everyone is 100% in,” he said.

PEICurling.com photo: Cathy Overton-Clapham

On the women’s side of the coin, Cathy Overton-Clapham’s decline of a spot: Why? Well, because she has joined Calgary’s Crystal Webster for this run. Report is Webster cut Erin Carmody in favour of Cathy O.

Webster confirmed that Wednesday, saying Carmody is no longer with the team and that Overton-Clapham will be part of Team Webster next season.

Click to read full story in the Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune

Photo (L-R): Gallant, Gushue, Casey, Walker

Any member club wishing to have an item of business placed on the agenda of the AGM should submit the information in writing to Executive Director Amy Duncan by May 8.

Tim Hortons Brier champion Brad Jacobs will be playing in the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials in Kitchener, Ont. (Photo, CCA/Michael Burns)

Twelve teams of each gender will play off for two berths into the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials, presented by Monsanto, Dec. 1 to 8 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. The Trials will decide Canada’s teams to compete for Olympic gold in Sochi.

Teams qualified for the Road to the Roar through the Canadian Curling Association’s Canadian Team Ranking System. Here is the list of teams:

Men
Brad Jacobs, Sault Ste.  Marie, Ont.
Brad Gushue, St. John’s, Nfld.
Mark Kean, Toronto
Jim Cotter, Kelowna, B.C.
Steve Laycock, Saskatoon
Joe Frans, Bradford, Ont.
Jean-Michel Ménard, St-Romuald, Que.
Greg Balsdon, Toronto
Rob Fowler, Brandon, Man.
Bryan Cochrane, Ottawa
Jake Higgs, Harriston, Ont.
Rob Rumfeldt, Guelph, Ont.

Women
Shannon Kleibrink, Calgary
Laura Crocker, Edmonton
Renee Sonnenberg, Grande Prairie, Alta. (Note: This berth was originally won by Kim Schneider, but the team declined it)
Cheryl Bernard, Calgary
Crystal Webster, Calgary
Amber Holland, Regina
Val Sweeting, Edmonton
Kelly Scott, Kelowna, B.C.
Cathy Auld, Mississauga, Ont.
Tracy Horgan, Sudbury, Ont.
Barb Spencer, Winnipeg
Krista McCarville, Thunder Bay, Ont. (Note: This berth was originally won by Cathy Overton-Clapham, but the team declined it)

In addition to being officially named as a competing team in the Road to the Roar, Cotter’s team also announced on Wednesday that it has added 2010 Olympic gold-medallist John Morris to its lineup for the 2013-14 season.

The format for the Pre-Trials will see teams play a modified triple-knockout draw leading to a four-team playoff. One playoff qualifier will come out of the A-event, one from the B-event and two from the C-event. The A- and B-event qualifiers will meet in the playoffs, with the winner advancing to the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings.

The two C-event qualifiers, meanwhile, will meet in the playoffs, with the winner advancing to play against the loser of the A-B game. The winner earns the other Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings berth.

For more information on the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials, go to: www.curling.ca/roadtotheroar/.

To purchase tickets, go to: www.curling.ca/tickets/.

Chelsea Carey (Photo CCA/Michael Burns)

“Fans can take full advantage of the Flex Pack to choose the games they really want to see,” said Host Committee Chair Mitch Tarapasky. “With four Manitoba teams now in the field, we expect to see another significant surge in new ticket purchases.”

Manitoba’s Mike McEwen and Chelsea Carey teams secured berths in the Roar of the Rings based on standings in the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) at the conclusion of this season’s play. They will join previous qualifiers Jennifer Jones and Jeff Stoughton on the ice this December in the MTS Centre.

The Rachel Homan, Sherry Middaugh, Kevin Koe and John Epping teams also advanced on CTRS point totals. The other four early qualifers are Kevin Martin, Glenn Howard, Heather Nedohin and Stefanie Lawton.

The final four berths in the 16-team field will be determined Nov. 5-10 at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar in Kitchener.

The schedule promises excitement from the opening draw, Sunday, Dec. 1, when Jones takes on Carey, followed by a matchup between Martin and McEwen that evening.

Fans can see a rematch of the 2013 Scotties Tournament of Hearts final Thursday evening when Jones takes on Homan. The Friday morning draw will see McEwen attempt to avenge a loss to Stoughton in this year’s Manitoba men’s provincial final. Stoughton faces Howard Friday night in the last draw of round robin play.

The complete schedule is available online by clicking here.

The Flex Pack, priced at $469, consists of a minimum of 18 tickets, and is the perfect option for two or more people to attend the exact draws they wish to see. A maximum of two tickets per game can be used for the two Saturday semifinals and the two Sunday finals.

“You Gotta Be There” for the 2013 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings when Canada’s top 16 teams compete for the right to represent our country at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Click here to reserve your seats in the MTS Centre right now.

Mike McEwen (Photo CCA/Michael Burns)

Click to read at the CCA website

Curl Atlantic has implemented a scholarship to curlers who have enrolled full time in a post secondary institution. The intention of these awards is to allow talented athletes to devote primary sources of time and energy to training, rather than extensive employment in order to fund post-secondary education. Recipients will be expected to devote a full-time, shared commitment to sport and education exclusively. This award is not intended to reward past achievements but rather a means to pursue further achievements that surpass the current level of performance. Priority will be given to athletes attending Atlantic universities, colleges or vocational schools.
Please complete the following application and forward to the Executive Director of Curl Atlantic, Helen Radford (curlatlantic2001@gmail.com), by April 30th, 2013. Along with your application please include a copy of your university or high school transcript and one other letter of reference other than your coach. Disbursement of funds to the successful  applicants will occur on October 1, 2013, upon receipt of enrolment confirmation.

Application form:

Word                     PDF

Capital Acquisition Grants

The trustees of the Joyce Myers Trust Fund have created the Capital Acquisition Grants as a means to assist curling clubs within Atlantic Canada with capital projects, such as the repair, replacement, purchase or construction of a curling facility, icemaking equipment, or special curling equipment, such as little rocks for a junior program.

Apply using the application below.  The deadline for applications is April 30, 2013.

Word        PDF

Photo (Facebook): Erin Carmody

The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (The Dominion) is proud to announce that the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia will host The Dominion Curling Club Championship, running from November 24-29, 2014.

The event is the ultimate experience for club curlers. Men’s and women’s teams from each of Canada’s provinces and territories come to play each year in round robin competition, all vying for the ultimate title of the 2014 Canadian Curling Club Champions.  The teams’ entries in the event are already hard-won, with each rink having taken home the championship at their provincial or territorial play downs.

The Mayflower Curling Club is no stranger to hosting premier curling events.  The six sheet club is home to elite teams headed by Colleen Jones, Mark Dacey and Heather Smith-Dacey. The club boasts an impressive roster of hosting including 13 Canadian championships within the last 15 years, numerous provincial championships and several national events including the 1995 TSN Skins Game and the 2002 Canadian Mixed. This esteemed facility, paired with eastern hospitality promises to deliver a The Dominion Curling Club Championship to remember.

Once again, the charity of choice for the event is the Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA) which is amidst a re-brand to its new name Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). For over 60 years, the CPA has been supporting persons with spinal cord injuries and other mobility disabilities as they live in their communities—in YOUR communities. The funds raised through The Dominion Curling Club Championship help the CPA chapters across the country continue this support; in 2014 the recipient will be CPA (NS). To date, the championship has helped to raise over $277,000 to support those living with spinal cord injury in Canada.

“Halifax is the perfect backdrop for a Canadian Championship” says Leigh Armstrong of The Dominion, “we could not be more excited to take the event back east and host at one of the country’s most renowned curling clubs”.

The 2013 championship will take place Nov. 18-23 2013 at the Fort William Curling Club in Thunder Bay Ontario.

Achievement Awards is Friday, April 26.  Please note that a person or team will not be recognized unless a nomination is received.

The ADL/Sport PEI Achievement awards recognize all the hard work, dedication and outstanding achievements that have taken place this past curling season (2012-2013).

Award categories – click category links to download nomination forms (Word format)

Junior Female Athlete

Junior Male Athlete

Senior (Adult) Female Athlete

Senior (Adult) Male Athlete

Coach

Official

Volunteer

Team

To submit a nomination, please complete the appropriate form and submit it to Curl PEI (aduncan@sportpei.pe.ca or P.O. Box 302, Charlottetown PE C1A 1P4) by the deadline.

Marc Kennedy (L) with John Morris and Kevin Martin at the Vancouver Olympics. (CP)

Even though the seeds of the Kevin Martin/John Morris split were in the wind for the last couple of years, team second Marc Kennedy was still hopeful a resolution could be reached and that the squad would remain intact for next season. In a candid interview this morning, Kennedy painted a portrait of a rink in various degrees of disintegration over the last two years or so, but one that was still hopeful of working through the obstacles that had been presented by a dissolving relationship between the skip and the third.

“The season had just finished so we were kind of looking for some time to think about things and debrief and then he kind of shocked us a bit yesterday,” Kennedy said of Morris’ announcement that he was leaving the team he’d played vice on for the last seven seasons, winning Olympic gold, two Briers and a world championship.

“We were still kind of waiting for them to work things out and get it going,” Kennedy said of Martin and Morris.

Instead, according to Kennedy, Morris decided to take his leave and was not turfed by a vote by the front end, comprised of Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert. There were rumours floating on Wednesday that the two had been asked to choose between the skip and the third, that it was their decision to make as the team reorganized and got set to make a run at next December’s Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.

“Before Ben and I could even have anymore conversations after the Players’ Championship, John pulled the plug. So, it never did come down to ‘we’re picking you or you,’ it never did come down to that. They knew that Ben and I had been quite upset and John’s the one that made a move first, I guess you could say.”

Kennedy expects the team will probably have an announcement on Morris’ replacement “within, at the latest, two weeks.” They could have had an announcement already had their first choice said ‘yes.’ Kennedy confirms that they reached out to Dave Nedohin to see if he’d be interested. “That was our first phone call. Beyond that we haven’t talked to anyone else yet.”

Click for full story at Yahoo! Sports

• Summary of the nominee’s athletic accomplishments including those outside of the school program
• Apparent need, perhaps have not won any other school scholarship or bursary and may have limited financial resources available for secondary education or other interest
• Describe other characteristics and qualities which may further qualify the individual for the award

Sport PEI will appoint a selection committee to review the applications and to determine the award recipient.
Deadline for application is the second Monday in June of each year. For more information, please contact Sport PEI at sports@sportpei.pe.ca or at 902-368-4110.

Information about Earl Frederick Smith (June 11, 1923-February 16, 2008)  http://www.peisportshalloffame.ca/personalities/personalitiy.cfm?ID=115

Photo: Earl F. Smith

The PEI Multi-Sport Course Calendar is available.  Please find the full schedule here: NCCP Course Schedule Spring 2013.

The Competition Development modules are being offered in June for anyone who still needs  any (or all) to become certified Level 3.

**ATTENTION: Potential 2015 Canada Winter Games Coaches**

Just a reminder, you will need to be fully certified Level 3 by April 30, 2014 in order to coach at Canada Games in February 2015.

Here is what you need to become certified Level 3:

Level 3 Certification Program

Make Ethical Decision (Training and Evaluation)

+
Design a Basic Sport Program Multisport Module (MSM)
(Offered in Intro to Competition B)
+
Any 4 of 6 Multisport Modules listed below
(Offered by provincial/territorial coaching associations)
Coaching and Leading Effectively
Managing Conflict
Prevention and Recovery
Psychology of Performance
Leading Drug Free Sport
Developing Athletic Abilities
+
Level 3 Technical (as currently offered by curling)
+
Level 3 Practical (as currently offered by curling)

(by Mike Johnston) Popular curler John Morris will be leaving Kevin Martin’s team after nearly eight years, Sportsnet has learned. An official announcement could come as early as Wednesday night.

Morris’ departure comes at a surprising time, with the Olympic Trials just eight months away — this December in his hometown of Winnipeg.

Team Canada skip Kevin Martin, right, and third John Morris, left, laugh while playing against Team Denmark during Olympic men’s curling action during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Martin’s team, which Morris first joined in 2006, had a disappointing outing this past weekend at the Grand Slam of Curling Players’ Championship, finishing 2-2 and losing in a tiebreaker to John Epping’s team.Click for full story at Sportsnet

Toronto’s John Epping has qualified for the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials in Winnipeg. (Photo, CCA/Michael Burns)

Twelve teams — six of each gender — have now qualified for the Roar of the Rings, which will decide Canada’s men’s and women’s teams for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

Two more teams of each gender will gain entry to the Trials at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials qualifying event, Nov. 5 to 10 at the Memorial Auditorium Complex in Kitchener, Ont.

Epping’s team qualified for the Trials by virtue of his team’s result at the season-ending Grand Slam Players’ Championship on the weekend in Toronto.

His quarter-final placing in Toronto was good enough to lock up a berth through the Canadian Curling Association’s Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS). Epping’s team was one of two — Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen was the other — to earn berths through the two-year CTRS standings, which reward teams for consistent play over an extended period of time.

Epping and McEwen join a star-studded men’s field in Winnipeg that qualified through the CTRS or by winning the Capital One Canada Cup (teams qualify for the Canada Cup through the CTRS). Also playing in Winnipeg will be Glenn Howard of Midland, Ont., (2011-12 Canadian Team Ranking System leader), 2010 Olympic gold-medallist Kevin Martin of Edmonton (2011 Capital One Canada Cup champion), Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton (2012 Capital One Canada Cup winner) and Calgary’s Kevin Koe (2012-13 CTRS leader).

The women’s field for the Trials is equally stellar. It consists of two hometown teams from Winnipeg: Jennifer Jones (2011 Capital One Canada Cup winner) and Chelsea Carey (CTRS two-year standings). Also competing for a trip to Russia will be Heather Nedohin of Edmonton (2011-12 CTRS leader), Saskatoon’s Stefanie Lawton (2012 Capital One Canada Cup winner), Sherry Middaugh of Victoria Harbour, Ont. (CTRS two-year standings) and Rachel Homan of Ottawa (2012-13 CTRS leader).

The 24 teams (12 male, 12 female) for the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Pre-Trials will be announced on May 1.

The official draw for the Trials will be announced on Friday when ticket-buyers will be able to purchase Flex packages based on when their favourite teams are playing. Go to www.curling.ca/tickets/ to purchase tickets.

Click to read this story at the CCA website

Sport PEI will be granting sport scholarships of $1000.00 to four Island High School students: 2 male, 2 female.
Application due date is May 20th, 2013.

CRITERIA

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Are graduating from a Prince Edward Island High School;
• Have excelled in high school or provincial sports during the current school year;
• Have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities through volunteerism and sport
• Have maintained a strong academic standing during  the current school year;
• Are entering 1st year at a post-secondary institution in the fall of the current year.

Applications for the scholarship must include the following items with the application form:

• List and prioritize your five (5) most outstanding sport achievements.  (Please be specific, e.g. 1st team All-Star AA Field Hockey, Bronze medal at Canadian Judo Championships-Junior division, -44 kg).
• List your extra-curricular activities in sport (coaching, officiating).
• Detail your future plans in sport.
• Two (2) Letters of Reference (sport and/or leadership).
• Copy of Official Academic Record (Transcript).

2013 Sport Scholarship Application (.PDF)

Curl Atlantic has implemented a scholarship to curlers who have enrolled full time in a post secondary institution. The intention of these awards is to allow talented athletes to devote primary sources of time and energy to training, rather than extensive employment in order to fund post-secondary education. Recipients will be expected to devote a full-time, shared commitment to sport and education exclusively. This award is not intended to reward past achievements but rather a means to pursue further achievements that surpass the current level of performance. Priority will be given to athletes attending Atlantic universities, colleges or vocational schools.
Please complete the following application and forward to the Executive Director of Curl Atlantic, Helen Radford (curlatlantic2001@gmail.com), by April 30th, 2013. Along with your application please include a copy of your university or high school transcript and one other letter of reference other than your coach. Disbursement of funds to the successful  applicants will occur on October 1, 2013, upon receipt of enrolment confirmation.

Application form:

Word                     PDF

Capital Acquisition Grants

The trustees of the Joyce Myers Trust Fund have created the Capital Acquisition Grants as a means to assist curling clubs within Atlantic Canada with capital projects, such as the repair, replacement, purchase or construction of a curling facility, icemaking equipment, or special curling equipment, such as little rocks for a junior program.

Apply using the application below.  The deadline for applications is April 30, 2013.

Word        PDF