Wax On, Wax Off…
There is an old saying “when the student is ready, the teacher appears”. This is usually the case in any trade, sport or hobby, and was the case with us in curling. We knew that we had to practice, so once we got back from Nationals, we were able to secure the ice time thanks to the winning spirit of Boston Bruin hockey legend, Al Pederson of the Colorado Sports Center. We were able to barter with them, which became a win-win for all of us! So off we went curling at 4:00 a.m. Yes that is not p.m., but a.m. In order to prepare the ice and have it ready to go by 5:00 a.m., we have to get there early. Brett has single handedly carried the team on his shoulders by learning to zamboni the ice. The good news for us is that if we have a bad shot, he is our scapegoat. Blame it on the Zam Man! So as we went along practicing what we knew to be correct form and technique in our minds, we didn’t realize that it was actually hurting us. And the more we practiced, the better we got at being bad! There is a myth that “practice makes perfect”. What we had to learn is that only perfect practice makes perfect. We knew that we needed two things, a 4th player to fill Jeremy’s spot, and Mr. Miyagi-a mentor who could coach us so that we could begin mastering the sport. When one door is closed, another is opened. We weren’t quite sure who that was going to be at the time, but as Jeremy quit and our search for a 4th player unfolded, soon it became apparent: someone who would have the experience to curl with the best of them, and the wisdom to pass on to the willing students. I will save the anticipation for the fundraiser on August 14th, because that is when we will unveil our new Skip, but once he joined the team the “teacher appeared”. We got both a 4th and a mentor all in one man. So finally the missing link was there. And as the saying goes…the students were ready, and the teacher appeared.
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