Professional in training!

Alberta skip taking her curling career in a new direction

Atina Ford Johnston is turning pro.

No, not that kind of pro — in fact, like most curlers, she’s quite likely lost more money pursuing her curling dreams than she’s ever made, and, again, like most curlers, she’s quite OK with that. It’s a passion, not a way to make a living for Ford Johnston.

Instead, the skip of unbeaten the Alberta women’s team at this week’s 2024 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships at Curl Moncton is part of the new Association of Curling Professionals (ACP) program that was introduced last year with the goal of developing teaching professionals who work at Canadian curling centres and offer their expertise to elite and club curlers alike.

It’s right in Ford Johnston’s wheelhouse, as she’s always looked for ways to give back to the sport that she loves.

“It helps me stay involved in the game when I don’t know how much longer I can be involved as an athlete,” said Ford Johnston, moments after guiding her Okotoks, Calgary and Sherwood Park-based team of vice-skip Shannon Morris, second Sheri Pickering and lead Cori Morris to a 9-2 win over the Yukon’s Team Rhonda Horte (Whitehorse) to improve to 4-0 in round-robin play.

“I’m really enjoying coaching my daughters right now and my son, and it keeps me involved in the strategic part of the game, too, which is the part that I really, really love about curling, and of course I get to be around the people in curling, because to me it’s family.”

Ford Johnston certainly has the competitive resumé to back up her ACP club pro aspirations; she was the alternate for the legendary Sandra Schmirler team that won Olympic gold in 1998 and world championship gold a year earlier.

In addition to her ACP training (she’s in the second phase of the program), she’s completing her master’s degree in special education and educational psychology, which, undoubtedly, will give her added insights in the realm of coaching.

The ACP program has grown quickly, and Ford Johnston, who’s based at the Okotoks Curling Club, already appreciates its value.

“I think it’s really important because it adds an element of professionalism to the coaching piece, and I think we all speak a common language across the country,” she said. “We have a common vision for where this is going to go. We’re trying to really build a depth of knowledge and a depth of skills for our athletes across the country, and we’re developing as a team, and as an Association, which is really cool to be part of.

“I know that I’ll offer my services to help to support the membership (at the Okotoks club) if they want to build skills, and I’d love to be involved in that, and then beyond that as well — whatever I can do to help pass it on, because I really believe in paying it forward. The game’s been really good to me, so I want to be good back to it.”

In other afternoon games, Nova Scotia’s Team Theresa Breen (5-0; Halifax) locked up a berth in the Championship Pool with a 6-3 win over Northern Ontario’s Lori Hoppe (Kenora); Quebec’s Team Luanna Waddell (2-2; Des Collines/Chicoutimi/Buckingham/Mont-Bruno) was a 10-2 victor over Manitoba’s Team Kathy Isaac (0-4; Hamiota); and Prince Edward Island’s Team Shelly Bradley (2-2; Cornwall) capped a two-win day with a 6-5 win over Team Sharon Cormier of the Northwest Territories (1-3; Yellowknife).

In the late draw, Newfoundland/Labrador’s Team Wendy Dunne (2-2; Labrador City) got by New Brunswick’s Team Shelly Graham (2-3; Fredericton) 5-3; British Columbia’s Team Diane Gushulak (2-2; Kelowna) beat Nunavut’s Team Geneva Chislett (0-5; Iqaluit) 7-1; Ontario’s Team Jo-Ann Rizzo (5-0; Mississauga) clinched its berth in the Championship Pool by shading Team Yukon (1-3) 7-6; and Saskatchewan’s Team Tracy Streifel (3-1; Saskatoon) defeated Northern Ontario (1-3) 9-3.

In morning results, Nova Scotia beat Quebec 7-5; Ontario downed the Northwest Territories 6-4; P.E.I. was an 8-1 winner over Nunavut; and New Brunswick doubled Manitoba 8-4.

In men’s play Tuesday night, Quebec’s Team Robert Desjardins (3-1; Chicoutimi/Riverbend) stole two in the eighth end for an 8-6 win over Alberta’s Team James Pahl (3-1; Sherwood Park); Nova Scotia’s Team Paul Flemming (3-1; Halifax) shut down Team Glen Hudy of the Northwest Territories (0-5; Yellowknife) 18-0; B.C.’s Team Neil Dangerfield (3-1; Victoria) earned a 9-3 win over Newfoundland/Labrador’s Team Keith Ryan (2-3; Labrador City); and New Brunswick’s Team Mike Kennedy (3-1; Grand Falls/Moncton) stole single points in the sixth, seventh and eighth ends for a 7-5 win over Prince Edward Island’s Team Eddie MacKenzie (2-2; Cornwall).

In afternoon play, Northern Ontario’s Team Ron Rosengren (2-2; Thunder Bay) rolled past Nunavut’s Team Peter Mackey (0-5; Iqaluit); Saskatchewan’s Team Randy Bryden (4-0; Regina) remained unbeaten by dispatching B.C. 8-1; Quebec cracked a deuce in the eighth end for a 6-5 victory over Ontario’s Team Howard Rajala (2-3; Ottawa); and Manitoba’s Team Randy Neufeld (2-2; La Salle) knocked off the Yukon’s Team Terry Miller (1-3; Whitehorse) 9-3.

In the morning draw, New Brunswick knocked off Ontario 8-4; Manitoba stole two in the eighth and one in the ninth for a 7-6 win over Newfoundland/Labrador; the Yukon toppled the Northwest Territories 10-3; and P.E.I. rolled to a 10-3 victory over Nunavut.

Action resumes at the 2024 Everest Canadian Senior Championships on Wednesday with draws at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. (all times Atlantic).

Fourteen men’s and 14 women’s teams (representing the 10 provinces plus Northern Ontario, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon) will compete and have been seeded into two pools per gender, playing a round robin within their pool through Wednesday.

The top four in each pool then advance to the Championship Pool for crossover games against teams from the other pool, while the remaining teams go to the Seeding Pool. 

After the Championship Pool round robin wraps up on Friday, the playoffs will start Saturday, at 8:30 a.m. with the semifinals, pairing the first-seeded team against the fourth-seeded team and the second- and third-ranked teams in the second semifinal. 

The winners advance to their respective gold-medal final, while the losers will play for bronze. The men’s medal games will be at 12:30 p.m. and the women’s medal games commence at 3:30 p.m.

Fans can follow the action live with selected games available on Curling Canada’s YouTube channel and TSN+. 

For live scores and standings, visit the scoreboard page.

For team lineups, draw times, and other event details, visit the event website.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2024seniors/nouvelles/?lang=fr