By Andrea Simms-Karp
The Morrissey family is used to the bright lights and slippery ice of the Rideau Curling Club. Over the years, the booming echo of their practices across near-empty seats has become a regular part of their lives.
But soon, the peacefulness in the stands will be replaced by hundreds of screaming fans, when Morrisey’s curling team competes for the junior national championship in Fredericton.
“I’m so excited,” says Erin Morrissey, 19, the skip of her junior women’s team. “I’ve never been to Fredericton.”
It is also her first time playing at the national level, which will run from February 5-13 in New Brunswick. After winning the provincial championships earlier this month in Peterborough, the Morrissey team has the rare chance be known by a new name: Team Ontario.
Erin’s younger sister Katie is the team’s lead. With their father Shane as coach, and their mother Sandra at each game, curling practice looks a lot like a family reunion. The other two team members, Samantha Peters and Karen Sagle, qualify as the Morrissey’s extended family.
But family is the name of the game for this group, with the team carrying on the tradition from a line of competitive curlers. Uncles, aunts and grandparents have all taken part in the sport. In fact, Shane took up the sport to impress Sandra’s family when they first met. Or as he puts it, he felt left out.
“I was 20 when I started playing,” he says, grinning at the memory. “Sandra’s whole family played, so I was trying to fit in.”
Getting their kids into the sport only seemed natural. Erin and Katie started playing for fun when they were small, mostly in children’s curling camps. At the time, the motivation was to get prizes. Now the goal is the honour of calling themselves Team Canada.
“When you’re first starting out, it’s a little tough, but it’s always fun,” says Katie, listing the rules and equipment it takes to play competitively. Although she is only 16, she has already been curling for over 10 years.
Audrey Reddick, the manager at the Rideau Curling Club, says she is proud of the team’s hard work.
“It’s thrilling,” she says. “Ontario is a very hard province to get out of.”
She says the club is organizing a send off party for Morrissey’s team to wish them luck.
“They are very hard-working and deserve this experience,” she says. “If any team deserves this, they do. We are so proud.”
If the competition stresses the Morrissey sisters out, it does not show. They each have their own way to calm down before a game. While Katie prefers upbeat music before she hits the ice, her sister takes a less conventional path.
“It sounds silly, but I listen to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack,” says Erin, laughing. “It’s kind of inspiring. The team makes fun of me.”
Shane also has his coaching tricks to keep his team on track.
“We do mental exercises to help them get focused,” he says. “We make sure they eat together, sit together, and keep the parents away.
“Parents are well-meaning and all that,” he adds, chuckling. “But sometimes you just want the players to stay calm and focused with no distractions.”
In the weeks leading up to the competition, the Morrissey team will be building up their strength. They practice three times per week on top of their regular work and school. Erin is in her second year at the University of Ottawa, studying human kinetics, and Katie is in Grade 11 at Sir Robert Borden High School.Even if they do not bring home a gold medal, the Morrissey’s will be proud of what they have done.
“I like moments like at the provincials where the games go well after working towards the goal for years,” says Erin. “Having achieved this is so nice.”