The details of this season's Regional Academy have been made public today. You can read the RCCC announcement
here.
There are four strands to the
'performance pathway' of a curler in Scotland. The initial stepping stone is the Royal Caledonian Curling Club's Regional Academy which supports individual curlers from age fourteen who show excellence in curling. The programme is organised with training and support in ten regions: Angus, Ayrshire, Central, East, Galloway, Grampian, Highland, North West, South West and Tayside and Fife.
The programme is managed by Nancy Murdoch, the RCCC's Performance Development Coach. Each region has an identified Technical Director and Coach. Fifty-two individuals are included in the Regional Academy this season.
The Regional Academy programme is funded by the athletes themselves who pay an induction fee, as well as RCCC administered funds.
The named athletes and their support are:
ANGUS
Technical Director: Lorraine Henderson
Coach: Hazel Wood
Athlete: Jill Donald
AYRSHIRE
Technical Director: Agi Bryson
Coach: Tom Reid
Athletes: Aron Bryson, John Johnston, Craig Kirkwood, David Miller, Michael Reid, Gavin Reid, Craig Reid, Stuart Templeton
CENTRAL
Technical Director: Irene Hird
Coach: Logan Gray
Athletes: Michael Goodfellow, Lindsay Gray, Judith McFarlane
EAST ATHLETES
Technical Director: Robin Copland
Coaches: Trevor Dodds and Susan Kesley
Athletes: Tasha Aitken, Annie Barr, Ian Copland, Jennifer Dodds, Mairi Girvan, Gillian Howard, Clare Lang, Robert McBride, Fran Stretton, Struan Wood
GRAMPIAN
Technical Director: Kay Gibb and Albert Midler
Coaches: Kay Gibb and Albert Midler
Athletes: Rosemary Arkley, Andrew Dolman, Eddie Steven, Simon Gibb, Gordon Kennedy, Jamie McDowall, John Penny
HIGHLAND
Technical Director: Lynne Fraser
Coach: Lynne Fraser
Athletes: Robert Craigie, Ally Fraser, Blair Fraser, Grant Fraser, Alison Kinghorn, Peter Macintyre, Scott Fraser
NORTH WEST
Technical Director: Judith McFarlane
Coach: Don Frame
Athletes: Alison Black, Graeme Black, Emma Craig, Megan Priestley, Callum McLeod, Gary Cannell
SOUTH WEST
Technical Director: Marion Murdoch
Coach: Marion Murdoch
Athletes: Hannah Fleming, Duncan Gracie, Kirsten McNay, Thomas Sloan, Alice Spence, Kimberley Smith
GALLOWAY
Technical Director: Agi Bryson
Coach: Tom Reid
Athlete: Jay McWilliam
TAYSIDE and FIFE
Technical Director: Claire Milne
Coach: Lynn Cameron
Athletes: Andrew Bayne, Steven Mitchell, Sharon Stewart
Jay McWilliam won the National Pairs title last season, and is the lone athlete in the Galloway Region.
The Royal Caledonian Curling Club Regional Academy programme was instituted three years ago. The 2008 Squad have just had a weekend at the Greenacres rink. This pic of the squad is by Brad Askew.
The programme is now run by Performance Development Coach Rhona Martin, here with Emma Craig. This was the first time that all the Regional Academy athletes had been brought together for a weekend camp.
Video analysis is an important aspect of any curling camp. Pic by Bob.
The curlers used the facilities of Lapwing Lodge (owned and run by the West Regional Scout Council), with raft building being one of the fun activities. Pic by Agi Bryson.
"Scotland's curlers practise for the consequencies of global warming." Pic by Agi Bryson.
