IN THE HOUSE: AN UPDATE FROM USA CURLING INTERIM CEO DEAN GEMMELL
January 4, 2023.
With the holidays behind us and a busy championship season about to get underway, it’s a good time for me to reflect on recent months and discuss what lies ahead.
One thing is obvious: our community is passionate and engaged. That’s great news for curling. American curlers love this sport, and it is our responsibility at USA Curling to earn their support.
Communications is an area we are constantly working to improve. In addition to our monthly newsletter, I will share emails like this one to provide insight into what we have been doing and be transparent about difficult situations.
So, what has USA Curling done in the past two months?
I'm proud of what we have accomplished during these last eight weeks, but I also know that much work remains to be done. Here is a recap of some of our activities.
Governance 4.0. Our Board has populated the Governance 4.0 Ad Hoc Committee, chaired by Marc Beyer. Along with USA Curling Chair Bret Jackson, I will be an Ex-Officio member. The committee features curlers from across the country and from all kinds of clubs, including some that are not currently USA Curling members. The first meeting is already scheduled, and the group will work with urgency towards a new membership and governance model.
Athlete Health & Safety Working Group. I formed the Athlete Health & Safety Working Group shortly after beginning this role. We have changed our Response & Resolution for SafeSport complaints. What’s more, we have established a process to review complaints that fall outside the jurisdiction of SafeSport. Going forward, when SafeSport declines jurisdiction and returns a complaint to USA Curling, it will be taken up by the Judiciary Committee and an Independent Reviewer.
Members of the Judiciary Committee are neither members of the Board nor Staff, while our Independent Reviewer will be from the United States Council for Athletes’ Health. No complaints will go through the CEO of the organization. The CEO will be kept informed as necessary, because the person in this position will be accountable. But decisions about complaints will be handled by the Judiciary Committee and the Independent Reviewer, and a USA Curling staff member will track and log each one. It’s important to note that when SafeSport does claim jurisdiction of a complaint, USA Curling is barred from further investigation.
Arena Club Working Group. I asked Jane Sharp of Jersey Pinelands to chair the Arena Club Working Group. This group includes arena curlers from across the country, and is working with USA Curling to develop resources and programs that benefit members who play in facilities used for activities other than our sport. I have attended their meetings and will continue to be involved in order to improve how we serve this group of curlers.
Events. We secured sites for the Women’s and Men’s Nationals (Denver Coliseum, February 5th –11th) and the Mixed Doubles Nationals (Kalamazoo, February 28th -March 5th). I am especially grateful to the leadership of the Kalamazoo Curling Club for their willingness to be flexible and assume hosting duties on short notice. They have a track record of running great championships and we look forward to being in Michigan. I also want to thank the members of the Denver Curling Club and Rock Creek Curling—we are working actively with volunteers from both to produce the best possible Men’s and Women’s Nationals at the Denver Coliseum.
We ran the Arena Nationals in early November at Curl Mesabi in Eveleth, MN. The time between the announcement of a host and the dates for this event were far from ideal, but we have now established a process and annual dates that gives regional associations an opportunity to establish fair qualification procedures for the 2023 championship. I appreciate the teams and clubs that participated this year, and it was an honor to attend.
A successful At-Large U18 playdown was held at the Schenectady Curling Club in late December—the efforts of volunteers from that club and the Chief Umpire, Michael Dobbs, are greatly appreciated. We look forward to the Mixed Fours At-Large playdown in January at the Cape Cod Curling Club, and the At-Large Club Nationals Playdown in February at the Ardsley Curling Club.
We awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals at the second Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Nationals, held at the Kettle Moraine Curling Club in Wisconsin. Many thanks to all the club volunteers and USA Curling Head Ice Technician Shawn Olesen for creating a terrific surface for the athletes. The level of play was outstanding.
Three events in the Junior Qualifier Bonspiel series have been held in Eau Claire, WI, Broomstones in Wayland, MA, and Madison, WI. Berths to Junior Women’s and Junior Men’s Nationals have been awarded, and more will be earned at qualifier spiels at the Fargo Curling Club, Triangle Curling in Raleigh-Durham, and the Four Seasons Curling Club in Blaine, MN. We are grateful to the junior bonspiel organizers who made their events sanctioned qualifiers and are encouraged by the participation levels. We will always review our qualifying processes to see what can be improved, but having multiple events for our junior curlers is paying dividends.
Town Halls. We have increased the frequency and variety of our communications. I have hosted five Town Halls, two on general topics and three focused on specific issues—College Curling, At-Large Playdowns, and an Athletes Advisory Council update. You can find recordings of these on our YouTube page. The Town Halls will continue, and I welcome everyone to join them. Our Chair, Bret Jackson, also convened a robust meeting of regional association leaders, and shared their issues and concerns with me.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. We have had valuable meetings with the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and have more scheduled for the New Year. I have also scheduled Unconscious Bias training for all staff and Board members in January and February.
Finances. We have taken a prudent approach to expenses as we navigate this unusual season. As a result, we are operating with a smaller staff. I am very grateful to the members of our team—all have taken on assignments and responsibilities that would not be considered part of their official job description. There is a genuine commitment to delivering as much as possible for our membership.
Why have host sites been announced late in the season? And where will Club Nationals be?
Fact is, it is difficult to find clubs that want to host championships. I think there are two reasons for that.
First, most member clubs generate far more revenue from private and corporate events than they did 10 years ago. That’s been great for the sport and club finances, and it has been driven in part by the success of our national teams on the world and Olympic stage. For good reason, clubs are reluctant to give up that revenue, along with member play, to host a national championship. As a former club president, I can certainly understand. At USA Curling, we aren’t in a position to significantly increase the money we pay to host sites, but we are working to maximize return for clubs that hold USA Curling events. Quite frankly, very few clubs will take on hosting responsibilities in the future if we don’t.
Second, we have a decades-long history of not supporting our host sites as well as we should. We are changing that this season, and will be active, engaged partners with host clubs in the future.
Finally, it’s no secret that we struggled to find a venue for Women’s and Men’s Club Nationals. I’m pleased to report that the eight-sheet Wausau Curling Club has agreed to host this important championship from March 15-19. We’re grateful to this terrific club for stepping up and I look forward to a great event in central Wisconsin. I believe Club Nationals is one of our most important championships and, going forward, we hope to introduce ways to make Club Nationals even more meaningful.
We do have host sites for all other national championships, but I can assure you we don’t want to announce them this late in future years. With a host for Club Nationals secured, our efforts will turn towards ‘24 and ‘25 sites. Some 2023 host clubs have agreed to multi-year commitments, and that will be helpful. Our goal is to announce host sites for future seasons by early summer.
What was the U18 Nationals team eligibility decision?
Last week, I faced one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had so far.
On December 29th, we were informed that Team Chee had registered for the MOPAC U18 regional playdown with two players who had already competed in the Dakotas U18 regional playdown. After careful review, it was determined that the team, as registered, had to be declared ineligible because the rules prohibit players in regionally based championships from competing on different teams at the same level of play. The team also failed to file a Request for Ruling (RFR), a requirement when teams are comprised of players from different regions. Rather than put all the details in this email, I invite you to read the post I made on our site about this decision.
What does USA Curling think about clubs in the MACA and the GLCA joining the GNCC?
I recognize that many clubs have been frustrated—I also realize that may be putting it mildly—by USA Curling.
In the wake of recent events, it’s not surprising that some clubs have elected to not join USA Curling this season. All are obviously free to make that choice. We can only focus on doing the work that will prove we are worthy of support now and in the future.
I do, however, struggle to understand how our sport benefits when one regional association plucks clubs from another. Both MACA and the GLCA have worked hard to grow the sport in their areas while keeping member dues low—those efforts have led to many new dedicated ice facilities and arena clubs.
Based on recent announcements, the GNCC footprint now extends from New Mexico to Alabama to Florida, over to Kansas City, to Nashville and into Ohio, to Pittsburgh and the Tri-State area, and all the way up into Maine. I don’t think that’s what anyone imagined when regional associations from around the country decided to form the United States Curling Association and work together on behalf of the sport.
Since 2006, I have belonged to the Plainfield Curling Club in New Jersey and been a member of the GNCC myself. Leaving the interests of other regional associations aside, I reached out to GNCC Chair Bob Hogan last week to ask how he thought adding clubs thousands of miles away would benefit my local club and me as a GNCC member.
His reply was that it meant the GNCC would have, “...more money.” He also noted that, “Numbers are power.”
Both may be true, but those dollars and power come at the expense of regional associations that are working hard to grow the game in their own areas. Frankly, that doesn’t seem in the best interests of the sport or the people who play it in the MACA, the GLCA, or anywhere else in the country.
To be clear, if the clubs joining the GNCC had decided to abstain from USA Curling membership this season but joined their traditional regional associations—MACA and the GLCA—those regions would not immediately lose their membership in USA Curling. The departure of the GNCC from USA Curling did not happen overnight—the process is a long one and doesn’t happen mid-season. It has never been something that is taken lightly or done quickly.
What’s more, we have the Ad Hoc Committee beginning work on new governance that could make the compliance discussion moot. At USA Curling, we won’t let these recent announcements distract us from our work—we will strive to be a national organization that earns the support of curlers across the country.
What does USA Curling offer?
During these last two months, I have attended events, spoken to countless curlers, and met with the Boards and members of multiple clubs. If you see me somewhere in the New Year, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts. In all my conversations, I accept the reality of the current situation, value the clubs and individuals that support us, and make clear I understand why there are some who want to send a message by resigning their membership.
I do believe the national organization provides benefits to curlers and to all who love this great sport, including:
A national and international voice that promotes curling and advocates for it within the Olympic movement.
Seventeen national championships for curlers of all skill levels and experience.
Webstreaming of as many championships as resources allow—the schedule for this season includes Women’s and Men’s Nationals, Mixed Doubles Nationals, and Junior Men’s and Junior Women’s Nationals.
Instructor training and certification.
Ice Technician training and consultation. We’re also working with the World Curling Federation to adopt their certification standards.
Officiating training and certification.
Skills clinics, including the Traveling Pro Program we’re launching this month.
Development of athletes and teams who are successful and give us the best chance to be a part of future Olympic fields. As the game grows around the globe, the competition for Olympic berths only becomes more intense.
Representation and advocacy within the World Curling Federation.
A calendar of events and regular postings of results from around the country.
Compliance for our member clubs and regions with SafeSport, which requires us to make specific information available to our members and on our website. We have also introduced RealResponse, a third-party texting service that can be used to bring forward any concerns.
Ongoing efforts to ensure our sport is welcoming of all participants.
Insurance that protects members no matter where they play, and provides clubs with general liability coverage.
When it comes to the future of our sport and USA Curling, I’m bullish. As I’ve said in Town Halls, it’s important to seize the opportunity that comes out of a crisis. It’s been a challenging 2022, but I’m confident 2023 will bring positive change.
Sincerely,
Dean Gemmell, Interim CEO
