USA Curling is excited to announce its National Junior Development Program (NJDP) will return for a second season.  NJDP, created to provide junior athletes the resources needed to elevate their game to the next level, is now accepting registrations until Oct. 13, 2021.

Following the inaugural season of the National Junior Development Program, participating athletes rated their experience, from guest presenters and resources to networking opportunities, as five stars.  

This year, Director of Junior Sport Performance, Jessica Schultz, looks forward to building on providing experiences and skills for curlers across the country.

“We’re thrilled to provide education and information on the necessary steps to becoming an elite curling athlete,” said Schultz. “In addition to coaching, training, and educational resources, we’re excited to offer athletes the opportunity to interact with others who have similar aspirations.”

The Program will return with the following benefits in 2021-22:

• National Performance Virtual Camp October 13th (recording of sessions will be provided to those unable to attend the live-sessions or interested in reviewing)

• Full Season (October-May) access to the National Team’s personal training app that will be overseen by Coach Charlie Boehm

• Curling consultation with National Junior Development Coach, Mike Peplinski (October-May)

• Access to a six-part webinar series that includes guest speakers and open discussion

• Virtual round table discussions with like-minded junior athletes across the country

• Discounted rate for the National Junior Development Camp (June 2022)

The Program will welcome junior athletes who hope to compete at the national or international stage, want to make improvements to their game, focus on physical fitness and mental skills, connect with National Team coaching staff, and network with like-minded athletes from across the country. To register, applicants must:

• Be between the ages of 13-21 (Of or older than age 13 at any time during the 13th day of October 2021 and less than 21 years of age at any time during the 30th day of June 2022)

• Be a US Citizen at the close of the registration

 About the program:

National Performance Virtual Camp

October 13, 2021

This virtual camp is hosted by National Director Jessica Schultz and National Junior Development Coach Mike Peplinski. Both Mike and Jess bring their experiences from the Olympic games to share with athletes the intricacies of team dynamics, importance of off-ice mental and physical training, and foundational structure of being a competitive athlete. Mike and Jess will be joined by Sports Conditioning Specialist Charlie Boehm to bring together a unique virtual educational experience.

Training App

Athletes enrolled in the NJDP will be eligible for access to our sports performance training app that will be overseen by Charlie Boehm. It’s an area where workouts are assigned and progress is tracked.

Access to NJDP Coach Mike Peplinski

Athletes enrolled in the program will have access to work with Mike. Utilizing GMTM.com, athletes will be able to send Coach Mike videos of their mechanics and receive feedback. Mike is available to consult on a variety of topics, receive delivery/sweeping video clips and provide feedback; as well as help provide information on how to elevate yourself as a player both on and off the ice. Mike will be working closely with the National Team staff and assist with helping NJDP athletes working to bring their game to the next level.

Webinar Series

Athletes enrolled in the program will receive access to a six-part webinar series that will be hosted on the first Wednesday of each month. Each session will dive deeper into a topic related to being competitive on the ice and will host a variety of guest speakers who are specialists on the topics. A few examples include: sports psychology, team dynamics, fundamentals of a delivery, learning to win, basics of shot execution, practice planning, etc.

Round Table Discussions

Virtual small group sessions, divided up regionally, where athletes are encouraged to share their experiences, network and dive in on hot curling topics.

About the Staff:

• National Director Women’s and Junior Programing Jessica Schultz – 2x Olympian, multi-national Champion

• NJDP Coach Mike Peplinski – Olympian, successful Men’s competitive career, multi-Junior National Champion, Coach, Teacher, Mentor

• Coach Charlie Boehm –Charlie is a strength and conditioning specialist who will work closely with USA Curling’s National Team Sports Performance Trainer Mike Gulenchyn at the Training HAUS.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Jessica at jessica.schultz@usacurling.org

USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Toyota, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), and Sitrin, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People, and United Airlines.