RockSolid Productions Inc. Opening New Doors for Youth Across the Country through Curling

By Anneka Burghout, Rock Solid Productions Inc.

The 2023-24 season has been nothing short of incredible, full of many youth engagement opportunities in camps, schools, and gyms.

Each year, Curling Canada and Rock Solid Productions Inc. team up to provide $20k in meaningful, philanthropic projects across the country, ensuring curling is accessible to as many youths as possible. This year was no exception, with the value of the initiatives reaching $30,000. 

Let’s take a look at some of the key joint initiatives delivered through Curling Canada’s For the Love of Curling program and Rock Solid Productions.

Curling into Summer Camps

Last summer, hundreds of kids got the chance to experience curling at summer camp thanks to donated equipment from Curling Canada and Rock Solid Productions Inc. The two summer camps that received the equipment, Camp Triumph and Christie Lake Camp, offer programming to youth who may not otherwise have opportunities to be exposed to the sport of curling.

In total, over 500 kids were able to use the equipment and enjoy a new activity. The kids were actively engaged through various floor curling programming and one camp was lucky enough to have four-time world curling champion Craig Savill join them!

Indigenous Youth Try Curling at Youth Tee Pee Summit

At the 2023 Youth Tee Pee Summit in St. Albert, Alta., 100 Indigenous young adults got the chance to participate in a pilot project that featured Egg Farmers Rocks & Rings, presented by Curling Canada. 

The goal was to showcase the sport and inspire young leaders to bring the game, in the form of FloorCurl, back to their communities for all ages to enjoy. First Nations Health Consortium (FNHC), the organizers of the event, purchased and shipped all the equipment to communities to help amplify the sport’s benefits. To ensure the equipment was used, this event was key to encouraging youth leaders to want to run these activities in their communities. 

The pilot project was a huge success, breaking down barriers to trying the sport and introducing an inclusive activity to many Indigenous communities. Since the summit, FNHC has been busy shipping FloorCurl equipment while getting community leaders and educators trained with customized Rocks & Rings programming. 

This is an ongoing project that will continue to bring the sport of curling to many communities that would otherwise not have exposure to it, allowing individuals of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities the chance to play. 

The Fran Todd All Heart Award Recipients Host Inclusive Curling Sessions

The Fran Todd All Heart Award (FTAHA) supports young athletes who embody the values of curling, place the highest priorities on fair play, respect, and inclusivity, and care deeply for the future of curling in Canada. One of this year’s recipients was high school student Rebecca Doherty, who has been on her student council since Grade 9, providing her with the insight to address issues and speak for the needs of her fellow students along with sharing her passions with others at Hillcrest High School in Ottawa, Ontario.

Hillcrest High School is a diverse school where curling isn’t common for many students. As a competitive curler, Rebecca wanted to share her love of curling with her peers, along with showing how inclusive the sport can be. Rebecca hosted a curling event, starting with an Egg Farmers Rocks & Rings Presented by Curling Canada floor curling experience in the school gym for 75 students and then a diverse group of 45 students to try curling on the ice at the RA Centre. These students included new Canadians, lower-income household students, students from the developmentally delayed program and autism spectrum disorder students. 

The end goal was to have an inclusive on-ice event, which was successful in introducing the sport to the students in the gym first, providing them with a safe space to understand the rules and get the hang of the game. Once on the ice, Rebecca was able to make inclusive accommodations such as dedicated, uncrowded ice time and setting up a chair for students who were not comfortable bending down or who were not comfortable standing on the ice for long. 

The event was a great success in introducing people to the sport in an inclusive environment and giving students the opportunity to try a new sport that they might not otherwise have had the chance to.

FloorCurl Joins the Programming Offerings at Moresports BC

At Moresports BC, six sets of FloorCurl equipment were donated for use in their various sports programs at both their locations. In the winter, each of their multisport programs incorporated floor curling sessions into their programming, introducing kids from Kindergarten to Grade 5 to the sport. Additionally, they ran a winter camp and volunteer training session, which was attended by about 60 individuals.

During their spring break camps, the equipment was used throughout their Tri City locations, each having a Moresports BC Teen Coach facilitating an introductory lesson for a day. This allowed them to showcase floor curling to about 150 kids from Kindergarten to Grade 7, and about 25 teens in the community. 

The equipment was also used by a school teacher to guide her school of 300 kids through floor curling programming during her PE classes. 

The FloorCurl sets were the perfect way for Moresports to show how they are a fun and safe place to try sports in their community. The donated equipment will allow Moresports to continue introducing youth of all ages to curling through their various sport programs.

Through our For the Love of Curling program and our partnership with Rock Solid Productions, we continue to be committed to growing the sport of curling and creating as many meaningful opportunities for youths across the country, especially to those who may not have access to the game. We could not do it without the support of Canada’s curling community, and we cannot wait to see what opportunities arise next season.