ROBUST SCHEDULE OF COURSES AND TRAINING PLANNED FOR MEMBERS’ ASSEMBLY
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, June 26th, 2024] — The upcoming Members’ Assembly and Members’ Meeting at the Chaska Curling and Community Center in Chaska, MN, will provide exciting opportunities for USA Curling members to attain certifications, improve skills, and attend the organization’s inaugural Coach Conference. Throughout the weekend, attendees will also be able to watch elite-level curling, as the Mixed Doubles Pre-Trials qualification event will be underway.
The weekend gets underway on Friday, August 9th, with a Level 1 Officiating course and a panel discussion on sweeping and how this aspect of the sport continues to evolve. The officiating course will be held at the Chaska Event Center, while the sweeping panel discussion will be available in-person and also streamed online.
Other Friday activities will include the launch of the new USA Curling Game Scoring & Analytics certification—a Level 1 Game Scoring course will be offered. Participants in this session will be trained to accurately generate and record shooting percentages, while also gaining a deeper understanding of game play and strategy. Future certifications in this program are being developed, as USA Curling looks both to broaden its educational offerings and create a pool of talent that can score games and analyze statistics at national championships and other events.
The annual Members’ Meeting will be on Friday evening at 7 PM CT at the Chaska Event Center. This meeting can be attended in-person but will also be streamed online.
On Saturday, activity both on and off the ice continues. The Coach Conference begins with off-ice sessions at the nearby Chaska Community Center, followed by on-ice training at the Chaska Curling Center in the afternoon and discussions throughout the evening games of the Mixed Doubles Pre-Trials event. To attend this conference, participants will need a Coach membership.
“Craig Perry has led a comprehensive staff effort to develop our new Coach Education and Certification,” noted USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “The online portions are engaging and informative, while the session during the Members’ Assembly will launch our in-person Level 2 Certification. This kind of training and education was overdue, and we know our dedicated coaches will find great value in the program we’re rolling out.”
To receive the new Level 2 Coach Certification at the conclusion of the conference, attendees will need to complete the free online Level 1 Coach Certification in advance. These Level 1 modules will be available to all Coach members in early July.
Other opportunities on Saturday and Sunday include a Level 2 Officiating course, certification as a Level 2 Instruction Course Conductor, and 45-minute skills improvement sessions led by National Team coaches and athletes. The Level 2 Instructor training set to take place on in Chaska on Sunday and the Four Seasons Curling Club in nearby Blaine, MN, will be the location for the two-day Club Ice Technician certification.
Team McCormick (Debbie McCormick, Allison Pottinger, Ann Swisshelm, Tracy Sachtjen, Joni Cotten), World Champions in 2003, will also be officially recognized as members of the USA Curling Hall of Fame on Saturday evening. That ceremony will take place prior to the 7:30 PM draw of the Mixed Doubles Pre-Trials.
“We want to make the annual Members’ Assembly an opportunity to learn, achieve certifications, develop or improve skills, and celebrate our great sport with others in the curling community. Participants will head into the next traditional curling season armed with valuable knowledge and information,” Gemmell added.
Registration and additional information about the schedule of events and activities during the Members’ Assembly and Members’ Meeting is available here.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Toyota, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of the World Curling Federation and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
