Sam Nahrgang - NAIT Athletics

EDMONTON, Alta. - The NAIT Ooks curling team is scheduled to take to the sheet on October 5th at 4:30 pm; this will be their tryouts and first-team training session of the 2020-2021 season. 

Their October 5th training session will be the first practice of a new and very different season. Due to the effects of COVID-19, the curling team, along with every other ACAC sport, will be dealing with many changes. 

The typical season would feature tournaments throughout the fall and winter semesters, but not this year. The team will be only training in the fall semester, before hopefully beginning competition in January 2021.

Due to the majority of schooling being online in the first semester, and no competition, coach Jules Owchar outlines the difficulties the program is having:

"It's a very different year, with students being online for school, and not competing this fall, a lot of our out of town players didn't move back to the city. So we will be training in the fall, without a full roster."

Coach Owchar also outlined the changes to training protocols during the pandemic:

"All of our players now change at home before showing up to the rink. Players must also wear masks when they are playing, and must use the same rocks throughout the game at which course they are sanitized following training."

"The Avonair Curling Club, Curling Alberta, and the NAIT staff have been very good with implementing and communicating the safety protocols that allow our student-athletes to begin training safely," said Owchar. 

"The student-athletes understand the importance of adhering to all of the protocols, including staying in their cohorts. They all know that they play a part in ensuring there is a season in January."

For any full-time NAIT students wishing to try out for the NAIT Ooks curling team, please email Jules Owchar at Juleso@nait.ca.